I've Got You
by DarkAuroran
Summary: A battle against the Hidden Village of Mist leaves Konoha in wreckage. Iruka sacrificed everything to save his home and now is in the hands of the infamous Sharingan-Kakashi during his recovery. Kakashi couldn't be happier! Kakairu YAOI, slight sasunaru
1. Casual Chuunin and Mud Monsters

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I was the one that threw the boys in the mud though!**

**Edit July 2010: Hello and welcome to the story! Just before you get started, FanFiction updated their site a while back and it unfortunately screwed with my formatting, removing all the section breaks (incredibly annoying). I'm slowly going through and fixing up all the chapters, taking the opportunity to improve them at the same time. Please bear with the story for the time being, it will be all fixed up soon! ^_^**

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 1: Casual Chuunin and Mud Monsters**

Kicking the door closed behind him, Iruka took a moment to lean against the solid wood structure and breathe a sigh of relief. It was Friday afternoon, classes had finished on time, he had no meetings to attend, and for once was not required to work the mission desk. In fact, this was the first Friday evening the Chuunin had not been on duty in some months and felt elated that the night was young and his for the wasting.

Slipping off his sandals and dumping assignments that would require grading at some stage over the weekend on the entry table, Iruka headed straight for the kitchen. It was about time he had some quality time to relax and unwind. He loved his students dearly and took great pride in nurturing their potential as young shinobi, but they were exhausting and often very volatile. As a teacher, Iruka had to be constantly on the alert for pranks, traps, tricks, and fights that could erupt at any given moment. It was tense work but he wouldn't give up his position for anything.

Working at the mission desk also took its toll on his nerves as arrogant, uncaring Jounin handed in reports consisting of messy handwriting and language more befitting his pre-Genin than elite shinobi. The only exception was Maito Gai, whose reports were always impeccably written with large flourished text and terms more befitting an epic poem than a simple mission debrief. What Iruka had never figured out was how the man actually managed to make the paper sparkle; it was the most bizarre thing. His first day working in the mission room had also been his first encounter with Konoha's Beautiful Green Beast. Iruka had been quietly filing some reports when the entry doors had burst open and a somersaulting green blur came hurtling through the air showering the room in sparkles and yelling "DYNAMIC ENTRY!"

There stood the famous taijutsu master on only one leg with an arm cocked over his head as if trying to impersonate the neck of a swan and the other flashing him a thumbs up. Needless to say the Chuunin had been struck speechless. A very loud and flowery speech about his youthful dedication to his job and a blinding flash of white teeth later, Iruka had been left blinking the spots from his eyes and holding a sparkly mission report. Since then he had thankfully become accustomed to such antics.

Chuckling to himself, Iruka shook his head clear of the memory. The rest of the day was his and he would not waste it thinking about work. Going to the fridge and pulling out supplies, he quickly made up a couple of sandwiches to take with him and put the kettle on to boil. As the water was heating, he moved into the bedroom and happily shed his shinobi uniform, throwing the garments into the laundry basket. There would be no reminders of work for the rest of the day. Going to the heavy oak chest of draws he neatly folded the leaf hitai-ate on top and took out a pair of jeans along with his favourite white cotton shirt.

Pulling on his jeans, Iruka enjoyed how they sat low and comfortable on his hips. He left a few of the shirt buttons at the top and bottom undone so it sat open to just below his collarbones and parted again where his jeans began. The shinobi uniform was specifically designed to provide complete skin cover while still allowing for maximum movement. It wasn't uncomfortable but sometimes Iruka just wanted the feeling of open, loose clothing that didn't come up his throat and needed to be bound to his legs.

The kettle whistled and the off duty Chuunin wandered back to the kitchen, quickly making up a thermos of his favourite jasmine tea to accompany the sandwiches. He was already looking forward to savouring the flavours of a simple meal in an outdoor setting. Not one to dawdle, he went into the study to collect the equipment he would need. Pulling his scuffed brown leather satchel from under the desk, he slipped in a fine grade sketchpad and his case of charcoal sticks.

Carrying the bag back to his bedroom, Iruka placed some explosive tags into one of the pockets. Pulling a kunai from one of his drawers, he pulled up the right leg of his jeans and strapped the weapon securely to his calf. As an afterthought, he also slipped a small packet of senbon into his pocket. Just because the Chuunin was off duty didn't mean he was stupid enough to go around unarmed. He was still a shinobi, after all. A quick trip to the kitchen saw his simple dinner packed away with the sketching supplies and he was ready to head out.

Slinging the satchel strap over his shoulder and head to sit across his chest – leaving his hands free, very important for any ninja – his reflection in the hall mirror gave him pause for a moment. He studied himself and couldn't help but smile at the civilian man that peered back at him. There was still something off though. Ah, his hair! Pulling it out of its high ponytail, he tied it loosely at the base of his skull, letting strands fall naturally around his face. That was more casual. Sandals were put back on and he set off out the door.

**…**

It was unseasonably warm for so late in autumn and soon Iruka had folded the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows. The breeze was very pleasant and the academy sensei felt his mood improve even more. He headed towards the village main gate, nodding and smiling at familiar faces but not stopping to chat and completely oblivious to the admiring eyes gazing his way from men and women alike. The gate came into view and with it a rather unusual sight. Coming toward him appeared to be three moving mounds of mud and leaves in the shape of men. One of these mounds suddenly lifted an arm and called out in greeting with a familiar voice.

"Oi, Iruka-sensei!"

Iruka couldn't help but laugh as the only recognizable human parts of the muddy blob was a wide toothy grin and clear blue eyes that could only belong to his favourite ex-student.

"My goodness," chuckled Iruka as he inspected the filthy shinobi in front of him. "Naruto, you've perfected the art of transforming into a mud-pie. Had I known your technique was so excellent, I'd have given you higher marks at school."

Naruto just laughed and spread his arms invitingly. "Come on, Iruka-sensei, where's my hug? I know you've missed me."

"Not that much," he retorted skipping back a few steps just to be on the safe side. "What have you been up to?"

"Just finished a mission! Can't give details, you know how it is. But, I can tell you that this mess is all _his_ fault!" yelled the recently appointed Jounin and leapt to the side pointing an accusing sludge covered arm at one of the other blobs of muck.

"What are you pointing at me for, idiot?" The insolent tone could only belong to Sasuke.

"Oh, Sasuke, it's good to see you're doing external missions again. The restrictions have finally lifted, though from the look of things I'd say you were better off restrained to the village." Iruka couldn't keep the amusement from his tone or the grin from his face as he discovered one of the other dripping figures to indeed be the normally very composed Uchiha.

"I agree," huffed the moody young man. "I'm going to get cleaned off. Later, Iruka-sensei."

"Congratulations on your recent Jounin appointment too, Sasuke," Iruka said as the filthy young man began to walk away.

"Thanks. Let's go, moron. You're stinking up the place."

Naruto's response was the expected noisy outburst and the two new Jounin strode off down the street loudly insulting each other while being given a very wide berth by other pedestrians.

Iruka chuckled as he turned to the only remaining figure with a warm smile. The posture of this person was familiar, but with all the muck, he couldn't be certain who it was. That and he could barely get a hint of any chakra at all. Either they had extremely limited reserves or their ability to suppress it was quite incredible.

"So, I'll hazard a guess and say you're the one Naruto was going to blame for his current condition. Though I don't think I want to hazard any guesses as to who's hiding under all that." He smiled genially to show the person knew he wasn't trying to be unkind.

"Maa, that's understandable, sensei. I doubt I'd recognise myself right now."

Iruka knew that smooth voice instantly and the smile fell away, replaced with an embarrassed blush.

"Kakashi-sensei!" he exclaimed in surprise, remembering the casual way he'd just addressed one of Konoha's most elite shinobi and grinned in both embarrassment and apology. "I would never have guessed. Excuse me; I'll not keep you from your business."

"No business that can't wait, sensei." Kakashi replied casually, letting his eyes roam over the younger man.

The great (albeit very muddy) Copy Ninja couldn't help but admire how incredibly sexy Iruka looked, even though Iruka always looked sexy to him. Kakashi hadn't realised until Iruka had come into view that he'd never seen the teacher in casual clothing before. As soon as the Chuunin had come into sight, Kakashi had suppressed his chakra to ensure neither his teammates nor the object of his interest picked up on his desire. He had also discreetly pushed up his hitai-ate, exposing the sharingan to take in every detail of the man he'd been drawn to for years.

The wind caused dark hair to dance across tanned skin, which looked all the richer in colour due to the soft white shirt. As Kakashi's eyes drifted further down Iruka's body, he felt his heart rate increase as the breeze lifted the unbuttoned hem of the teacher's shirt, showing flashes of a flat, toned stomach and lean hips hugged by low, loose jeans. The Jounin had to mentally restrain himself from falling to his knees, pulling the delicious man to him by those appealing hips, and lavishing that teasing skin with lips and tongue. Iruka shifted uncomfortably and Kakashi realised he'd been staring too long. He refocused his mismatched gaze on deep brown eyes that always seemed to hold the promise of warmth.

For the life of him, Iruka couldn't understand the sudden scrutiny he found himself under by the famous Copy Ninja. Of course famous or not, Iruka had in the past given the man a good piece of his mind when he thought it necessary. This situation, however, as before they'd always interacted in a work setting and Iruka never realised before just how exposed he actually felt out of uniform. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was being eyed off by a very hungry predator, even his heart was starting to up its tempo. But, that was ridiculous. This was Icha Icha obsessed, straight flying, totally heterosexual, reads porn in public, Hatake Kakashi.

Iruka was physically attracted to the elite Jounin – there wasn't many people around who weren't – but there was no way he was ever letting Kakashi know that. Summoning up a polite smile, the teacher decided to beat a quick retreat. He could never manage to relax in the silver haired shinobi's company for some reason.

"I'll not keep you from a clean set of clothes or handing in your mission report, Kakashi-sensei. I hope you have a pleasant evening." He inclined his head politely and walked through the gates, not daring to look back and see if his exit had been considered rude.

Staring after the object of his desire, Kakashi toyed briefly with the idea of following the delicious Chuunin and watching him some more. However, there was no way he could comfortably maintain discretion for long in his filthy state and he really did want to get cleaned up. Slipping his hitai-ate back over his left eye, the Jounin formed some seals and disappeared with a small puff of chakra smoke.

**…**

_This is perfect! _Iruka decided when he crested a hill and gazed out over the expanse of forest below.

Wandering around for a few more minutes, Iruka found a tree with the view he wanted, channelled chakra to his feet, and climbed up to a relatively wide horizontal branch. Settling himself down, he pulled out his charcoals and sketchpad ready to transfer what he saw before him onto the crisp white page. This was exactly what he needed to relax and happily set to work, pausing frequently to admire the view or watch the birds perform aerial acrobatics. After sketching for an hour or so, his stomach alerted him that it was time to enjoy some refreshments. Iruka sighed in contentment as he leaned back against the tree trunk, sandwich in one hand and cup of fragrant tea in the other.

_Perfect afternoon.__ It doesn't get much better than this._

The thought had barely formed in his head when an intense sense of unease washed over him. Sitting up and looking around, the Chuunin couldn't see anyone nearby or any reason for his instincts to suddenly be on edge, but something sure as hell wasn't right. His sense for trouble had never yet been wrong.

_What's__ going on?_

He put down his food and climbed to the very top of the tree for a full visual. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. The forest was very quiet and all seemed calm, nothing was apparent that could have caused such a dramatic shift in atmosphere.

At the same time an loud cracking noise reached the Chuunin's ears, Iruka saw a sight so unexpected it took his startled brain a moment to process the situation's full meaning. Five enormous boulders, each the size of the shinobi academy, went flying into the air from a section of forest to the east. The boulders travelled in a devastatingly graceful arch before rapidly descending and impacting upon the village of Hidden Leaf. Sounds of destruction and terror rent the air and snapped Iruka out of his stunned state. Screams of fear and pain drifted to him clearly on the wind as did terrible grating and grinding noises that could only be his beloved village being torn apart.

Iruka was horror struck and a moment of indecision flooded over him. For a split second, he felt terribly helpless and honestly didn't know what to do. The logical side of his brain demanded that he race back to the village and assist in any way possible. Protect and help the people there, herd them to safety of the mountain shelter and away from the chaos. He was without proper weapons and equipment. The logical choice was to go back. But, the passionate side of him cried out to find where the boulders had come from and make damn sure it didn't happen again. It demanded the blood of those that would dare harm the village he loved and had sworn his life to protect. How could he go back to help when he could go forward to ensure no further danger was coming?

His mind was made up for him when a loud voice echoed across the valley and reached his horrified ears.

"Reload!"

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**AN: I have the concepts for up to Ch 3 noted down, I just need to sit and type them out. All constructive reviews are welcome.**

**Edited July 2010 with the help of my dearest editor Meiun.  
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	2. The Hunter and the Hunted

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I did teach Iruka the angle to set that exploding tag though!**

**AN: This chapter has been edited in 2010 by myself and Meiun.**

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 2: The Hunter and the Hunted**

_Iruka was horror struck and a moment of indecision flooded over him. For a split second, he felt terribly helpless and honestly didn't know what to do. The logical side of his brain demanded that he race back to the village and assist in any way possible. Protect and help the people there, herd them to safety of the mountain shelter and away from the chaos. He was without proper weapons and equipment. The logical choice was to go back. But, the passionate side of him cried out to find where the boulders had come from and make damn sure it didn't happen again. It demanded the blood of those that would dare harm the village he loved and had sworn his life to protect. How could he go back to help when he could go forward to ensure no further danger was coming?_

_His mind was made up for him when a loud voice echoed across the valley and reached his horrified ears._

"_Reload!"_

**…**

It was a delicate balance, to scan ahead with chakra and search for traps or enemy, while restraining it enough to not announce he was in the vicinity and hunting them. For hunting was exactly what Iruka was doing. The Chuunin had started running toward the source of the boulders with a maelstrom of emotions coursing out of control, enough to make him want to be violently ill. He was shocked to his core by what had just occurred, the image of the boulders flying toward his home replaying over in his mind until he felt bile rising in his throat at the sounds of impact and screaming echoing through his mind.

Had anyone he'd known been killed? Had one of his students been under a boulder when it landed, one of his co-workers not fast enough to move from its destructive path? Did one of the market owners that sometimes gave him a free apple and always a smile even see their death coming? Was a friend or student at that very moment trapped beneath a pile of rubble in a dark world of pain and fear, Iruka not there to pull them back into the light? He was terrified for his fellow villagers and that fear was eating him from the inside out, corroding away his fragile confidence that he'd chosen the right course of action. Though, in all the confusion and emotional turmoil, one emotion had risen to override the rest. Pure _rage_.

The rage was both ally and foe. It pushed all other emotions and doubts aside judging them inconsequential and savagely banishing them into a tiny, unreachable corner of his mind. The rage enabled him to cast away the nerves gnawing at his stomach, it fortified his resolve until it seemed there had never been the choice to go back, it was only ever forward. Forward to the enemy. Forward to the fight!

However, the rage would also blind him to his surroundings, causing tunnel vision only for his target and that would get him killed before he even got close to achieving his goal. Iruka had slammed lid on his rage and caged it deep. It was removed enough not to interfere with his decision making abilities, but not so far that he couldn't still feel it fuelling him and call upon it if needed. Now he was able to advance on the enemy and be alert to all the subtle dangers surrounding his situation. Pulling all his explosive tags from the satchel and dropping it in a shrub for retrieval later, Iruka was as ready as he could be under the circumstances. It was time to hunt.

**…**

Instincts honed from years of working with children served Iruka well. The academy sensei could sense when a trap was nearby or a danger lay in his path ahead after so many years dealing with small hellions. At that moment, his instincts were screaming at him that there was an enemy concealed in the trees just ahead. Breaking hard from his run, he ducked behind a tree with barely a sound and suppressed his chakra to a tiny flickering flame. The Chuunin inched out from behind the trunk enough to covertly scan the forest. Nothing moved except for the leaves in the wind, nothing looked out of place. Looks could be deceiving. The pre-genin teacher knew this better than most from dealing with sadistic mini-devils in the guises of angels for years.

_There!_

A flick of the wrist sent a senbon from Iruka's pocket flying into the tree canopy ahead and to the right. It was deflected with the sharp sound of steel on steel, but flushed his target from its hiding place. A man clad in a long coat leapt through the air, eyes searching wildly for where the attack had come from. A good hunter is never seen by its prey until the certainty of the kill. Another flick of the wrist and a second senbon went sailing through the air. This too was deflected easily only to have a third needle, hidden in the second's shadow, embed itself in the unknown ninja's throat.

The man's face transformed into a mask of almost comical surprise as paralysed limbs gave no support and the body crumpled to the ground. He died quickly and silently, before Iruka even reached his side. The senbon had struck with the practiced perfection of one who taught and trained with weapons every day. The needed had penetrated the soft flesh and life essential tubes to sever the delicate nerve endings wrapped around the vertebrae, piercing a key chakra point of the body. The kill ensured no noise or blood and this was vital, as Iruka needed a disguise. The enemy-nin's uniform was it.

He could have performed a henge to impersonate the dead shinobi but that emitted a certain chakra pulse and the Chuunin was convinced he would be quickly outed by any elite ninja nearby. Considering they were attacking a hidden village, there was no doubt that there would be many elite enemies.

_Sometimes the best disguise is the simplest_.

Iruka pulled the man's ankle length cloak on and fastened it to the high collar, hiding his casual clothes beneath. As he retrieved the foreign hitai-ate, the leaf shinobi noted the four small lines etched onto the plate's smooth surface.

_Mist__?_

He glared at the markings before securing the headband across his forehead. Why the hell was Water Country attacking? As two of the strongest shinobi nations careful precautions were taken to ensure that Fire and Water remained on stable – if not good – terms with each other. An attack like this was going to cause an all out war, the likes of which hadn't been seen in decades!

A shout snapped Iruka from his musings and caused all blood to drain from his face.

"Fire!"

Again, the sickening crack assaulted his ears and Iruka's eyes snapped sky-ward in time to see another series of massive shapes launch overhead.

_NO!_

Only survival instincts stopped him from crying out. His heart slammed into his chest and the rage caged inside released a howl of fury, clawing fiercely to break free. Iruka breathed deep and reined in his emotions. He was a shinobi; sharp, focused, and determined. He would defeat his enemy and protect his village. Turning again toward the source of the boulders, the Leaf Chuunin continued on as fast as he stealthily could.

Arriving at the edge of a camp a moment later and suppressing his chakra as much as possible, Iruka hid behind some shrubs to assess the situation. There were five of the largest catapults he had ever seen dominating the majority of the clearing. They were_ huge_ and being pulled back into the loaded position by teams of shinobi turning great wheels on the sides, compressing the springs and readying the war machines for action.

Behind these destructive devices, were more teams of shinobi standing in groups and performing techniques that raised massive clumps of earth, forcing them together to form enormous rocks. Another team then rushed forward to infuse the newly formed boulders with mass amounts of chakra, giving them a powerful shield to prevent breakage immediately on impact. Horrified, Iruka realised that this meant the boulders would roll after landing and cause much more damage. He had to stop them, now!

There were many others at the site, the majority standing guard and prepared to fight while small teams rushed around with equipment performing small tasks. Four people in particular caught Iruka's attention and this was not surprising, as they all radiated high levels of raw power. They were definitely of the elite level – on par with Kakashi, Gai, and Asuma if Iruka had to make a guess – however, unlike the Leaf Jounin these people made no effort to hide the affect of their chakra.

Three of the shinobi rested on the trunk of a fallen tree. A woman with long black hair and flowing red robes, made of seemingly weightless material, sat demurely with hands folded in her lap and head slightly bowed. Her silk slippered feet swung gently, almost childlike, in the air. The hair and material floated around her on the wind, almost giving the impression she was submerged in water. She looked fragile. The chakra she was giving off, though, dramatically contradicted her appearance. It was so intensely cold Iruka was amazed that the workers closest to her didn't immediately turn into human-popsicles.

Next to her lazed a very strange man, clad only in a tight pair of black pants, high buckled black boots, and a black wide brim hat with pale blond hair poking out from under the brim. He wore no shirt but his torso was completely covered in vivid, iridescent blue snake tattoos, winding their way around his chest and over his shoulders. They were so intricately tangled together that it was hard to tell where one stopped and the next began. Every now and then, Iruka had the disturbing impression that they actually moved. But, that had to just be the man's muscles shifting… didn't it? The shinobi was leaning back on an elbow, one leg dangling in the air and the other propped up on the bark. His hat was tilted down over his eyes and he looked as though he had nothing better to do than relax in the sun and there wasn't a village of people dying only a few miles away. To top it all off, he seemed to be chewing on a stick of pocky! His chakra was the opposite of the woman next to him. He radiated intense heat and when mixed with the cruel cold of his companion it was enough to give the Chuunin a headache.

The third was a man dressed as a monk in saffron and red robes, woven sandals on his feet. His head was completely shaven and his skin so incredibly dark he was almost charcoal black. He sat with legs folded neatly and hands resting palm up on his knees. The dark shinobi appeared to meditating, completely unaware of the hectic rushing of work around him. His chakra was _heavy_, like there was a giant invisible weight situated above the site and it was just waiting for an opportunity to drop and crush everyone. It was very frightening and despite the clear blue sky above, the hidden teacher felt distinctly claustrophobic.

However, it was the fourth Jounin that held the majority of Iruka's attention. He was a massive man, at least six and a half feet tall and seemed almost as wide. One of his muscled arms was as thick as both Iruka's thighs, his grey sleeveless tunic strained against his barrel chest threatening to rip at any given moment. A wide pair of grey pants hid what Iruka could only suspect were legs as thick as tree trunks. It was not the man's intimidating build that caught the Chuunin's attention though, nor his chakra (which didn't seem to emanate any particular trait like the others, just the promise of incredible strength). It was his voice. Iruka had heard that voice twice already that day and he felt the rage threatening to break loose as he listened to it shout orders. The soldiers he yelled at always answered back with a rushed and fearful "Yes, Rikiryou-sama!"

So, he was the leader. Iruka was angry, the angriest he'd ever been in his entire life. But Iruka was not stupid, he knew there was no possibility of him taking on any of the four elite Jounin and surviving. Thus the teacher did what he did best, he strategized and formed a plan of action. Waiting for a break in the rushing bodies, he stepped out of his hiding place and picked up a bucket of water that had clearly been set aside for drinking, hustling over to those that were working on the war machines. The men were all sweating profusely and Iruka knew his presence with water would be welcomed rather then looked upon as suspicious. The Chuunin had deliberately started at the already loaded machines, the most likely to be fired first.

"Water?" he asked quietly, moving between the sweating bodies and offering the bucket with ladle. As the men took their refreshment, Iruka very discreetly placed one of his exploding tags on what he knew to be the weakest joint of this machine design. He had taught the little would be shinobi about all the different war machines and their vulnerable spots for years, but he'd never had to use the knowledge until now. Moving quickly to the next machine, he repeated the process and was on the way to the third when he heard the female elite speak to Rikiryou.

"They're going to be here soon. Don't you think it would be wise to fire the machines already loaded rather than wait for all five?" Her voice held no emotion and it was as chilling as the chakra she emitted.

Iruka dared not look at them and was careful to keep a lid on his emotions, not giving himself away to the surrounding enemy taking the water he offered.

"Hmm… I suppose you're right," he heard the hated voice mutter before a clearing of the throat. "Ready four and five for launch!"

People rushed to get ready and Iruka headed for the back of the camp. He didn't want to be too close and his timing had to be perfect.

Raising a massive arm, Rikiryou swept it down in a slicing motion at the same time as he yelled "Fire!"

Iruka formed the hand sign and directed his chakra, whispering "Release."

The result was quite spectacular. At the precise moment the springs were released, so were the exploding tags with a satisfying _BOOM_! Catapult five sent its boulder careening straight up into the air before it came straight down again and landed on the back of the machine's frame. The weight, emphasised by the chakra infusion, forced the entire catapult to flick back on itself. The base went flipping through the air to land at the back of the camp with a rewarding crunch, taking out some enemy shinobi and supplies with it.

Catapult four had a different but just as interesting reaction. The explosion severed the joint connecting the top section to the base and threw it sideways, boulder and all, to crash into catapult three. The impact destroyed the third war machine completely. A shower of woodchips rained down on the startled enemy, all leaping desperately out of the destruction zone and looking around wildly for the perpetrator.

Iruka was so impressed! He must have set the second tag at an interesting angle to achieve that result. He tucked that piece of information away mentally to investigate later.

_If there is a later_, he surmised, pure instinct making him dodge the kunai that came hurtling for his back.

Moving quickly, Iruka caught the weapon as it flew past while turning to meet his attacker. Obviously, someone had sensed the released charka and traced it back to the source, which wasn't really surprising as he was surrounded by ninja and some of them had to be competent. He blocked the blade of a katana inches from his throat with the borrowed weapon and launched some senbon with his other hand, forcing the enemy to leap away. He heard both needles being deflected but his attention had shifted to the next enemy who had taken a lunge for his unprotected back. Twisting out of the way, the tip of the man's katana sliced through coat and shirt to graze along his ribs, but only shallowly. Enough to hurt but not slow the Konoha Chuunin down at all.

Reaching out Iruka captured the overextended arm of the mist shinobi and pulled him off balance. As the man fell, Iruka stabbed down with the kunai and embedded it in the base of his skull. The weapon became stuck in the falling body and a new means of defence had to be found fast, so he took what was closest out of the strike victim's hand. The enemy was dead before he hit the ground and the Iruka was in possession of his preferred weapon. Wielding the katana like an extension of his body, he deflected and dodged incoming shuriken and senbon but was just not fast enough to avoid a sweeping kick, which took out his legs.

Hitting the ground hard, Iruka rolled quickly as more shuriken sank into the soil where he'd landed. Coming to his knees and blocking another strike from the enemy, his situation had officially become desperate and it was with a sickening certainty that the Chuunin realised he was well out of his depth. Behind him, he could feel shinobi advancing but had to keep his full attention on the enemy in front. The Mist-nin was attacking with a fast series of intricate blows that were extremely difficult to counter. He was completely on the defensive, not able to perform any counter strikes at all.

The enemy-nin was unrelenting in his attack and forced Iruka backward where the more enemy awaited him. He was trapped. The hunter had become the hunted.

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**AN: Poor Iruka is in trouble. I wonder what's happening in Konoha! You'd best read on and find out ^_^**


	3. Fire and Water Collide

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I did hide the Hokage's bottle of sake though.**

**Edited in 2010****: Thank you, Sal m'dear, for your help.**

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 3: Fire and Water Collide**

_Behind __him, he could feel shinobi advancing but he had to keep his full attention on the enemy in front. The Mist-nin was attacking with a fast series of intricate blows that were extremely difficult to counter. He was completely on the defensive, not able to perform any counter strikes at all._

_The enemy-nin was unrelenting in his attack and forced Iruka backwards towards the shinobi coming from behind. He was trapped. The hunter had become the hunted._

**…**

The fifth Hokage of Konoha sat at her desk, surrounded by mounds of paperwork taller than her hidden bottle of much desired sake. Tsunade was completely ignoring the great piles of important documents demanding her attention to stare murderously at one small announcement in the newspaper. She had won the grand lottery.

"Tsunade-sama?" The quiet, nervously muttered question came from her ever constant shadow and most trusted friend.

The blond woman sighed and rubbed at her throbbing left temple. Shizune stared at the line of numbers perfectly matching those on the small slip of paper her leader had purchased the previous evening.

"Tsunade-sama, what could it mean?"

"I don't know. This is the biggest win I've ever had." The older woman frowned. There was a moment's silence as both the women mulled the situation over. "Maybe this time it's not bad news."

Tsunade's hopeful brown gaze rose to meet worried black eyes and an unspoken knowledge passed between the two friends. Something very bad was going to happen. Shaking her head and slamming a fist into the desk with forcefully enough to make the wood groan in protest, the Godaime rose and began pacing her office.

"Who's currently out on A to S rank missions? I'll need their files and locations immediately," she ordered.

Shizune snapped to attention and was about to answer when a sound made both their hearts stop and crawl upwards into suddenly constricted throats.

The alarm sounded only seconds before the first wave of boulders hit the village. The warning gong barely gave the shinobi time to react and the civilians only enough time to look around and wonder what there was to be wary of. Those five massive impacts rocked Konoha to its core and shook its buildings like an earthquake. The deafening sound of earth striking earth was confusing and terrifying. Many of the hidden village citizens found themselves disoriented as the shockwave assaulted the delicate inner ear and temporarily muddled the body's equilibrium. Dust clouds from the impact zones rose blindingly thick, particles of sand and shards of glass spread outward like a wave choking anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in its path.

Some homes and businesses collapsed from the powerful shockwaves, windows smashing throughout the village and cracking walls causing chunks of wood, stone, and mortar to fall into the streets. Many people were shaken from their feet and could only huddle into tight balls or try and shield loved ones as destruction rained around them. Silent prayers for survival were uttered to any God listening. Screams of terror and pain were carried by the wind, rising in volume as the dust began to clear enough to take note of surroundings and the horror of the situation. For those in the direct path of the boulders, there were no survivors.

Some people staggered to their feet, screaming for loved ones, crying out names desperately or incoherently, running between streets strewn with rubble or digging frantically into the ruins where they had last seen that precious person. Others ran to help those injured and defenceless, doing whatever they could to preserve a life and comfort those locked in worlds of painful terror. A few couldn't even move, just standing or lying where they'd fallen to watch the horror unfold with wide uncomprehending eyes.

The Leaf shinobi had been trained for such emergencies, their instructions so ingrained in their psyche that they moved without thought or delay. Lower Chuunin and Genin rushed to the aid of civilians and began crisis control. They herded those that could move to the safety of the tunnels beneath the Hokage monument while medical staff tended to the injured and administered life-preserving aid. The higher ranked Chuunin and all Jounin headed straight for the Hokage tower to receive instructions from their leader.

Pops and puffs of chakra smoke began filling the Hokage's office and the door burst open to admit more shinobi, all silently awaiting direction from the powerful woman. Tsunade quickly ordered her shinobi into teams and was about to start issuing commands when there was a shouted warning and she turned to see five more projectiles arching their way through the sky. There was no time to waste!

"ANBU and elite, find the enemy and destroy! The rest of you, stop those boulders!"

**…**

The blade came far too close to Iruka's neck for comfort as he quickly shifted his balance and bowed his backward to avoid the strike. He swiftly swung his katana across his chest and managed to knock the enemy ninja's weapon wide. Quickly, he dropped his free hand to the ground and – using the momentum from his last move – kicked out with both feet at his attacker's chest. By resting all his weight on his arm and using a chakra boost to push off the ground, Iruka flew through the air with a powerful velocity and connected with his target. The Mist shinobi was sent flying backwards and the Leaf shinobi landed firmly on his feet again with an agile mid-air twist. His triumphant moment was fleeting.

Before Iruka could even fully turn to face his next opponent, he was tackled around the waist by a man wearing a green bandanna, the weight and force driving him to the ground. Pain shot through his left shoulder on impact as it bore the brunt of their combined weight, becoming trapped beneath his body. Letting out a pained hiss, the Chuunin gathered chakra in his right hand and swung for his tackler's head with as much speed as he could from the awkward position. Suddenly, a rope tangled around his wrist, forcing his fist to stop less than an inch from the Mist ninja's ear. Despite Iruka's resistance, his arm was yanked above his head with a painful jolt.

_Shit, shit, shit!_

Iruka tried desperately to twist his body and free his left arm, but the man on top of him scrabbled up to straddle his chest. A large fist swung down to strike the pre-Gennin sensei solidly across the cheek. Pain exploded behind Iruka's eyes and he saw white for a moment before snapping back to his senses to discover his shoulders pinned to the ground. The academy teacher struggled fiercely, kneeing his enemy in the back repeatedly and trying to pull his right hand free of the accursed rope. Iruka could feel the skin being stripped from his wrist as he twisted his arm to try to loosen the binding, but it was infused with chakra and would not relent. Thumbs dug savagely into pressure points on either side of his collarbones and the pony tailed Chuunin couldn't suppress the grunt of pain that escaped his throat.

"Hurry the fuck up and finish him!" the green bandanna wearing man sitting on his chest snapped at someone standing just beyond Iruka's line of sight.

Trying to find the source of the chakra infused rope, Iruka's eyes were momentarily stilled when they passed over the four powerful Jounin he had been studying earlier. The dark skinned monk and red clad woman hadn't shifted their positions in the slightest, obviously unfazed by the confusion affecting their camp. The leader Rikiryou was glaring right at him murderously; his face bright red while he bellowing orders. The killing intent coming from the massive man was immense and Iruka could feel it was all aimed directly at him.

Another chakra was vying for his attention though and the Chuunin found his eyes drawn to the tattooed man. His hat had been tipped back and he was sitting up, staring at Iruka with beautiful midnight blue eyes. Those dark eyes were watching him with what could only be described as fervent _lust_. The snakes on his torso seemed to vibrate and squirm as the heat emitting man devoured him with his eyes. Iruka was disgusted and scowled in his direction before looking away to deal with his more immediate enemies. As he turned his head, he swore he saw the tattooed shinobi smile.

Iruka's breath was coming short and shallow, the weight on his chest making it impossible to suck in as much oxygen as he needed. His left arm was rapidly numbing and his right arm, immobilised over his head, was stretched so tightly that he could actually hear the joints in his shoulder groaning. The Leaf Chuunin couldn't help but wonder if it was going to pop off all together. All his discomfort became irrelevant as a shinning silver blade swung to a halt over his face. Looking up, he saw the katana wielding man staring down at him with pure hatred in his eyes. The blade lifted.

"Die you leaf bastard," the enemy shinobi snarled through bared teeth.

Iruka made a last ditch attempt to reach an exploding tag in his pocket, at least that way he could take these two out with him, but it was hopeless. He was completely trapped. The blade swung down and Iruka closed his eyes, turning his face away in the last moments of his life.

The strike never came. Surprised brown eyes snapped open as the rope binding his wrist loosened and the weight on his chest was suddenly removed, allowing life-giving oxygen to rush back into his lungs. In place of the katana wielding shinobi, Iruka gazed up at a familiar bearded face with smoke curling from the cigarette held firmly between lips.

"Time for you to head back, sensei. We'll take it from here." Asuma smiled down at him.

Relief flooded Iruka's system, his body momentarily going limp in relief as he spied familiar figures rushing past and sound of battle began to ring loudly around the clearing.

_I'm alive! Oh thank god,__ the cavalry's arrived._

Asuma gave him a quick pat on the shoulder and disappeared from his sight, going to join the fray. Iruka was just sitting up when arms wrapped around his chest from behind and he was hauled to his feet. A voice spoke softly in his ear.

"I'm impressed, Iruka-sensei. Look at all the chaos you caused before we even got here."

Iruka's heartbeat instantly sped up and a shiver danced its way down his spine as soft breath ghosted across his cheek.

"Kakashi-san?" he gasped and turned his head to see a single dark grey eye focused on his face. The strong arms still hadn't released him and Iruka was momentarily alarmed when the grip tightened briefly before loosening and he found himself being propelled away from the fight. Kakashi manoeuvred the teacher toward the forest leading back to Konoha.

"You've done extremely well but it's time to get clear. This is no place for an unarmed teacher."

Normally Iruka would have protested being underestimated like that but under the current circumstances he had to agree it was a fair call. Kakashi had not yet released him and dark eyes once more turned to steel grey in puzzlement. A gloved hand rose in front of his face and the foreign hitai-ate was slipped off his forehead. He couldn't shift his eyes from that intense gaze; despite the war raging around them it command his full attention. Arms momentarily tightened again and Iruka's shortness of breath had nothing to do with the pressure of their embrace.

"Go quickly," the silver haired Jounin whispered. "Get to safety."

Iruka could only nod. The arms released him, gave a gentle push, and Iruka took off for the forest running as fast as he could. Kakashi, already splattered with the blood of the three Mist-nins that had pinned his Chuunin down, turned back to the fight.

**…**

Iruka hadn't even made it to the first line of trees when he spotted one of his past students, a young man named Kenji that had been in Iruka's class the first year he taught at the academy. He was battling a Mist kuonichi who was far more skilled than the young man. Iruka diverted his course, pulling his last two senbon from his pocket and aiming for her back. He let fly the weapons and as predicted, she turned to deflect the attack giving Kenji the opening he needed for a killing blow. His kunai struck the female-nin dead centre spine and she dropped to the ground with a gut wrenching scream, twitching and bleeding heavily.

Iruka felt a deep sorrow at seeing the sweet young lad who had been truly terrible at math and Iruka had tutored for many evenings drop to his knees and slit her throat with detached ease. Again, he reminded himself that he helped raise future soldiers and the reason why was raging around them. They all did it to protect their home. Kenji lifted surprised eyes to his former teacher and smiled like the little boy he once knew.

"Iruka-sensei! I thought you were another enemy," the young man exclaimed, relief obvious in his voice. "I thought I was done for."

Iruka was quite taken aback. "Why did you think I was the enemy?"

Kenji looked him up and down pointedly and Iruka realised he was still wearing the Mist cloak. Ripping open the buttons and dragging the fabric off, he threw it on the ground with disgust. Kenji was already running back to the fight but called over his shoulder, "Thanks sensei!"

Iruka once more made for the forest and had only taken a few running steps when he was again engaged by an enemy.

_Damn it! I just can't get out of here._

Ducking the kick aimed for his head, he dropped to his left knee and pulled out the hidden kunai strapped to his right leg. Swinging up from his crouched position and trying to slice through the Mist ninja's thigh, the Konoha Chuunin leapt backwards and made ready to attack. Before he could dash forward again, huge muscular arms wrapped around his upper body, trapping his upper arms to his sides and lifting him high off his feet in a rib cracking hold. The Mist shinobi he had been fighting stared past his shoulder with wide, frightened eyes before turning and rushing off to find another opponent. All the air was forced from Iruka's lungs as the arms squeezed harder, pain screaming through his body as his ribs bent and threatened to snap. An angry growl came from behind him and that was all the target Iruka required.

Snapping his head back, he felt it connect and a sickening crunch met his ears along with a deep grunt of pain. Even though Iruka was sure he'd met his mark and broken the man's nose, the arms did not release their bone-crushing grip. Spots began to form before his eyes and Iruka knew there was only a few desperate seconds before he blacked out and left completely vulnerable. Quickly forming hand seals, he twisted one hand up and placed his palm on his assailants arm, releasing the full force of his burning jutsu. There was a loud agonised howl and the arms released him. Iruka dropped to the ground gasping for air and staggered away, desperately trying to clear his vision and suppress the nausea threatening to dispel his earlier sandwich. Every breath was painful, his chest bruised and protesting each expansion. The Leaf Chuunin knew he didn't have time to worry about bruising; he'd fought with worse.

Turning to his new enemy, brown eyes lifted and met murderous black. Iruka was facing Rikiryou.

_Oh fuck_.

* * *

**AN: It's been bought to my attention that I still write with a mixture of past and present tense. It's one of my flaws, which I'm trying to improve upon. Unfortunately, it means taking longer to write chapters as I'm now over-scrutinising my work. But enough with the excuses. **

**(****Sal: You will continue to use them anyway and none of us are buying them, Kakashi-sensei… and you owe me Dango).**

***Scratches head sheepishly* For those of you wondering, Sal calls me Kakashi most of the time because I'm always late and ****usually have a really poor excuse. She's Anko because she's sadistic but lovable and has crazy hair.**

**Does anyone actually read the Author's Notes anyway? Seriously, hands up whoever reads authors notes -click on review and put your hand up- **

**(****Sal: I not only read them but I edit them so nyah. Actually I usually don't edit them but decided to be bratty). **


	4. The Pain and the Rage

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I did get stabbed in the shoulder once though and don't recommend you try it!**

**Edited 2010 and likely still full of mistakes ^_^**

* * *

**I've Got You**

**Chapter 4: The Pain and the Rage**

_Snapping his head back, he felt it connect and a sickening crunch met his ears along with a deep grunt of pain. Even though Iruka was sure he'd met his mark and broken the man's nose, the arms did not release their bone-crushing grip. Spots began to form before his eyes and Iruka knew there was only a few desperate seconds before he blacked out and left completely vulnerable. Quickly forming hand seals, he twisted one hand up and placed his palm on his assailants arm, releasing the full force of his burning jutsu. There was a loud agonised howl and the arms released him. Iruka dropped to the ground gasping for air and staggered away, desperately trying to clear his vision and suppress the nausea threatening to dispel his earlier sandwich. Every breath was painful, his chest bruised and protesting each expansion. The Leaf Chuunin knew he didn't have time to worry about bruising; he'd fought with worse._

_Turning to his new enemy, brown eyes lifted and met murderous black. Iruka was facing Rikiryou._

Oh fuck.

**…**

There was no pause, no time to run or try and catch his breath. Rikiryou attacked with a furious bellow, dashing toward Iruka with teeth bared and chakra flaring. Iruka managed to twist and desperately throw himself out of the way at the last second, one of the massive fists missing him by mere millimetres. As Iruka took to the air, Rikiryou smashed his clenched hand into the ground and chunks of earth erupted upwards leaving a dust filled crater where the Chuunin had been seconds before.

Iruka was stunned. He'd felt the man's chakra when in hiding and assessing the situation but had no idea it would be on a similar level to Tsunade's! He realised with a sickening certainty that he was way out of his league trying to fight this shinobi. One decent hit and it could all be over. He was already weakened and injured from his previous battle but even at full health and fitness, completely armed and in uniform, he wouldn't want to try and take on the Mist Jounin.

_Can't get hit, I'll have to rely on speed and look for an opening to escape._

The thought had barely formed in his mind when a mass materialised directly in front of him and another massive fist was flying his way.

_He's fast!_

Pure instinct and speed from a life time of training let Iruka move fast enough to block and infuse his arms with reinforcing chakra. Crossing them in front of his chest, they absorbed the full bone jarring impact and he was thrown across the clearing at blinding speed. A tree stopped his flight. The Chuunin slammed into it hard enough to become slightly embedded in the solid trunk. The distinctive internal sound and sensation of ribs breaking was unmistakable even in his dazed head, which had thumped solidly into the hard wood along with the rest of his body.

Head ringing loudly and vision doubled, Iruka folded to the ground and collapsed trembling onto his knees. Taking a shallow breath he leaned forward and coughed harshly, red droplets splattering the soft grass under his fingertips. His chest felt like it was on fire, burning with white hot intensity and threatening to incinerate his heart with its flames. Pain laced its way through the back of his skull and he could feel warm, sticky liquid beginning to run down the back of his neck. His mouth filled with blood and Iruka turned his head to the side and spat out a dark red glob. Damn, he needed to stop shaking.

Raising dazed eyes, he saw the source of his agony bearing down on him with frightening speed, face contorted with anger and lips curved back in a snarl. The academy sensei knew there would be no one to save him this time but himself. He needed a boost and desperately. Wasting precious seconds, he closed his eyes and reached deep inside to the place where his final source of energy would come from. As if seeing it through his true eyes, Iruka placed his hand on the top of the cage he had constructed such a short time ago.

_I need you now._

The pure and unhindered power of _rage_ flooded his system and bought new life to muscles that had been quivering with shock and exhaustion. The pain dulled in the glorious rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins and vision that had been greying at the edges came back clear and strong. Iruka was _angry_!

"You interfering little maggot!" Rikiryou drew his fist back to deliver the killing blow.

Obviously far faster then the Mist leader had been expecting from the smaller, badly battered shinobi, Iruka channelled chakra to his feet and leapt up into the dense overstory of the trees. Rikiryou only paused in surprise for a second before slamming his fist into the base of the tree, causing the wood to splinter and the tree to protest with a loud groan as it began to topple. The Konoha Chuunin didn't slow his pace. He pushed off the falling trunk and landed on a solid branch in the next tree. Turning in his crouched position, he glared down at the furious man below. His heart was hammering in his chest like a sledgehammer and each tiny breath was laboured and painful. Muscles screamed in protest as lactic acid began accumulating in their fibres, too little oxygen in his system to disperse it properly.

Iruka knew the only way he would defeat this opponent was to force him to make a mistake. In his childhood the reliable and responsible school teacher had been a little pony-tailed prankster of doom. Those years of wreaking havoc and getting into mischief had taught Iruka many useful things. One of which was that angry people make big mistakes. Iruka felt almost giddy at the thought of further infuriating this mountain of a man and wondered briefly if his own fury was feeding this line of reasoning. Maybe he'd hit his head so hard that all his common sense was flowing out with the blood itching on the back of his neck. Mentally shrugging, he decided that it was the only plan he really had so he might as well follow it.

"Come on, Princess. Not afraid of a few trees are you?" he sneered down at the man on the ground before deciding to add "Pussy."

If Iruka had thought the Mist leaders face couldn't get any redder he was very mistaken. It turned a fascinating deep scarlet and the Chuunin was convinced he had actually seen a vein pop in the thickly corded neck.

The loud bellow of outrage was all the warning he received to move before the branch he had been resting on was turned into a shower of toothpicks.

_Hn, that worked well. Now I __really__ need to find a weapon!_

Iruka cast his eyes around for anything he could use and spotted a source of defence embedded in a log not too far ahead. Putting on a burst of speed he dashed down and yanked the machete free of the wood before bounding back into the canopy above. Moment after he'd moved, the log exploded behind him. The Chuunin knew it was time to fight back and stop running, he'd just have to fight smart. Close combat was not an option in this case as he would be too easily overpowered, therefore he would have to be a bit creative.

Directing chakra down the blade of his weapon, Iruka sliced through a branch and sent it sailing towards Rikiryou with a well aimed kick. Pausing very briefly to watch what effect this would have, he wasn't surprised when the man smashed his way through the flying foliage. The enemy was slightly slowed though as Mist ninja were not trained to fight amongst trees. Iruka was, and now he had a plan of action.

Speeding from tree to tree, he sliced off branches and sent them all flying back at his opponent with precision accuracy. As much as the enemy-nin was slowing down it still wasn't enough for the Sensei to make an escape or risk a more direct attack. Sucking in one painful breath after another, Iruka knew he wouldn't last much longer. The adrenaline boost from earlier was starting to wane, his movement becoming slower.

_Just a little longer_, he chanted in his head like a mantra. _I just have to hold out a little longer._

Slicing through another branch and kicking it backwards, Iruka was caught completely unprepared as the Mist leader rapidly dodged to the side and caught the limb. Rikiryou swung the branch around in a move that belied his previously slowing actions and aimed directly for the Chuunin. Iruka forced additional chakra to his feet, trying to get that extra boost and escape, but he was not fast enough. The branch caught him on the leg causing him to lose his balance and tumble toward the ground below.

Reaching out for anything to grasp onto, he heard his machete slice into wood and reached blindly in the direction of the sound. He managed to grasp hold of a branch and – using the momentum from his fall – he swung his body around, managing to flip upwards and land on his feet. As soon as his feet made contact with the wood, Iruka was slammed backwards into the trunk of the tree and indescribable pain shot through his entire body.

The massive weight of his adversary pinned him in place and Iruka couldn't hold back the gasp of pain as all his injuries were jarred. His right wrist was captured in a crushing grip and pinned above his head. All this was nothing compared to the sensation he experienced less then a second later as a long bladed tanto was driven through the soft flesh and hard bone of his left shoulder to be embedded in the wood of the tree behind. Agony, pure agony, screamed through his entire system. He could barely think for the pain but somehow managed to savagely clamp down on the cry threatening to escape his throat. A vibration travelled through his body and Iruka realised through the roar of blood in his ears that Rikiryou was laughing.

"No," Rikiryou said, pressing further into Iruka and again causing him to gasp in pain, "don't hold back your screams. I want you to scream, I want to feel it travel through your body. I want all those Konoha shinobi below to hear you scream and watch as you die."

The black eyed man slowly twisted the dagger and Iruka grit his teeth hard, hissing through the pain as soft flesh was further torn and the blade ground on bone. It was _agonising_. He subconsciously registered the sound of wood splintering behind him and felt small splinters poke into his already damaged and inflamed flesh.

"Scream for me," Rikiryou hissed in his ear before dipping his head and dragging a wet tongue from Iruka's jaw to his temple, at the same time giving the tanto a vicious jerk upwards.

For a moment, Iruka blacked out. The pain overwhelmed his system but then, just when he needed it most, through the darkening cloud of despair came the rage. With a primal growl, he forced pure chakra down his terribly injured left arm and gathered it in his hand. Forcing the badly damaged limb to move, he touched his palm to the Mist leader's chest and released. The large man was blown backwards off his feet along the branch. Using the momentary burst of anger, Iruka clasped the tanto's handle and yanked the dagger out of his shoulder. Pulling back his right arm, he threw it at Rikiryou and watched in disappointment as it sank into the man's thick thigh. He had been aiming for the heart.

Iruka knew that he had used too much chakra and what was left of his strength was leaving him as quickly as the crimson blood flowing from his shoulder. He saw the man cry out when the dagger stuck flesh but couldn't hear it over the roaring in his ears. Rikiryou's gaze briefly shifted to the battle field below and Iruka found his own eyes following. It was a bloody massacre and Iruka couldn't tell who was winning. The ground was soaked a sickening brownish-red from the lost lives of enemy and comrade alike.

On the edge of the clearing was a small group of Mist-nin looking ready to break and run from the conflict. This was what Rikiryou had focused on and Iruka watched in fascination as the Mist leader pulled the dagger from his leg with barely a wince and threw it toward his own soldiers. It landed behind the Mist group and sunk into the earth with such force a small crater was formed. All their eyes turned fearfully upwards and a few faces openly blanched when they realised who had stopped their retreat.

"Them or me!" the Mist leader bellowed.

Clearly, the Water country soldiers were more terrified of their leader than their Leaf adversaries, choosing to reengage the Konoha shinobi instead of risking Rikiryou's wrath.

"Iruka! RUN!"

The scream below had the Sensei's head snapping around and locking onto panicked mismatched eyes. Their gazes met for a less than a heart beat before Kakashi's attention was drawn back to his adversary and the Jounin narrowly avoided a deadly attack. With horror, Iruka realised the copy-nin was battling single-handedly against both the dark skinned monk and red clad woman. Fear tightened his chest. If the legendarily laid back and perpetually bored Copy-nin was looking _that_ panicked then the situation must be dire. Iruka had to do something and fast. The Sandaime's voice suddenly flashed in his mind so clearly that he almost looked around expecting to see his beloved Sarutobi-sama standing on the branch next to him smoking his pipe.

_Iruka, remember that if you cut the head off a snake the body will quickly die._

Blinking rapidly to try and clear his fading vision, Iruka knew that he had lost too much blood and chakra. His head felt very light and it was becoming increasingly harder to focus. He took as deeper breath as his broken ribs would allow and stooped down to pull machete from where it had cut into the branch. Rikiryou, having finished intimidating his troops back into battle, turned once more to the academy teacher and began to advance. Iruka knew he only had a minute maximum to achieve a miracle before he passed out and put all his remaining strength into his attack.

Running forward, he met the massive man head on. The Mist leader once more drew back a large fist and in a far corner of Iruka's mind he noted that it was likely very fortunate that this opponent didn't use any weapons or he would have been dead a long time ago. Ducking at the last second, he avoided the blow aimed for his face and spun low and awkwardly behind the large man, feet no longer able to stick to the tree due to lack of chakra. Standing and swinging his weapon upwards in one movement, Iruka aimed to run the blade directly up his enemy's spine. It would be a paralysing if not killing blow.

Rikiryou shocked him as he moved so quickly that the blade almost completely missed, only slightly nicking once of the wide shoulders. Again, his wrist was caught in a bone crushing grip and twisted savagely. The machete flew from his grasp and only ingrained training made the exhausted Chuunin move appropriately to avoid another broken bone. Feet slipped on the bark and he almost fell, despair clutched his heart at the lost opportunity to finish the fight and help save his comrades. Before he could even attempt to alter his stance and gain a firmer footing, a blow to the head made everything disappear.

**…**

He was being lifted. Iruka must have only been knocked out for a moment but that was more than enough time to render him powerless in the hands of his opponent. One large hand was wrapped around the back of his neck, fingers almost touching at the front of his throat and further cutting off precious oxygen. The other hand was fisted in the fabric of his jeans under his tail bone, the large knuckles digging painfully into the sensitive area. He was held above the Mist leaders head. His left arm hung uselessly, dripping blood and refusing to respond. Iruka could no longer tell one pain from another through out his body. They had all just merged into one that seemed to consume all of him and threatened to drag him into the darkness once more.

Everything was becoming so cold and shudders began to wrack his frame. Perhaps quite ridiculously, during all of this he couldn't help but admire how the sunset shone so beautifully through the fluttering leaves above. While all below was stained in death the heavens above were alight with stunning gold and pink. The irony of their feeble war compared to the never ceasing and untouchable passage of Mother Nature was not lost on a dying man in a world of pain. The stars would not cease to shine and mountains would not crumble if he were to stop existing here and now. It was humbling. A voice snapped him from his drowsy musings.

"KONOHA! Watch and despair! This man's fate is the fate of you all!"

Iruka was not going to be conscious for much longer but a final idea forced its way into his sluggish mind as the Leader delivered his speech.

_If I'm going to die I'm taking this fucker with me._

Reaching into his pocket, Iruka felt his last exploding tag and the charcoal stick he'd used for sketching earlier. One handed, he rolled the tag around the charcoal. Twisting his head, he ignored the excruciating pain as skin ripped and tore in the tight grip, looking down to sight his target. Rikiryou was still yelling to those fighting below.

"Every last man, woman, and child will die by my hand!"

"Oh, you're not touching my kids, you bastard," Iruka croaked.

Swinging his hand down, Iruka hit dead on target and slammed the tag wrapped sketching stick through Rikiryou's right eye.

A resounding shriek of pain split the air nanoseconds before the hands released him. Iruka felt he was falling in slow motion, passing the Mist leader who had his hands clamped over his eye as blood and intraocular fluid poured from between the fingers. Focusing the very last of his chakra, Iruka concentrated on the explosive tag and prayed he would have enough.

"Release," he whispered, forming the necessary hand sign.

He saw the leaders head explode a moment before darkness claimed him.

**…**

It was a strange sensation, like sleeping but being awake. Iruka could hear noises all around him but they sounded like they came across a vast distance, muddling together. He couldn't open his eyes, not that he wanted to. There was no pain here, he was neither hot nor cold, and the sensation of falling was actually quite pleasant.

_I wonder if I'll feel it when I hit the ground. What will it be like to die?_ He mused.

Iruka was resigned to death. He'd protected his village to the best of his ability, killed the Mist leader, and hopefully sent the enemy force into disarray. They'd likely retreat with the lack of leadership. His bills were all paid, the filing up-to-date at the mission room, and he'd finished his class plans for the rest of the semester so his student would be fine. Everything was organised for those coming in his place. He hoped Naruto wouldn't take his death too hard and someone would continue to take him out for Ramen.

_The ground must be getting closer,_ Iruka mentally sighed. _Don't really want to die. Hope it doesn't hurt._

The falling sensation stopped abruptly, the muddled sounds all fading away.

_Is this it? Am I dead?_

It didn't feel bad at all. He felt cradled, like something had wrapped around him and would hold him safe, protected. There was a new noise, it was clear and strong. A fast beat: _Ba-bump, ba-bump_.

A voice seemed to light the darkness, like a candle in a blackened room. It was very familiar though he couldn't place it.

"I've got you, Iruka. I've got you. Don't leave me, love. Please, don't leave me alone."

It sounded desperate, pleading and scared and desperate. It touched his heart, igniting a candle of his own in the darkness.

_Ok_, he thought. _I'll stay_.

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**AN: I was going to be evil again and end the chapter where Rikiryou's head blew up (BOOM) but wanted to put in that nice little ending. **

**I got the idea of Iruka's rage from old stories I've read about solders that would go berserk in battle. They were called Berserker's and the battle rage would take them over to fuel their bodies and cloud their minds until they could barely tell friend from foe. Very fearsome fighters as any cuts or wounds that weren't fatal would only fuel their anger and they would fight continually until finally collapsing from exhaustion or being constrained long enough to snap out of it. Of course this wouldn't completely suit our dear Iruka, so I wrote him with a more controlled form of the condition. Bet you some of you thought I was driving towards another form of Naruto's kyuubi, didn't ya? Ah, Come on! Hands up those who thought I was leeching off Naruto's character! -click review and stick your hand up-**


	5. Injured Chuunin and Crazy Jounin

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I did smack that intern upside the head though.**

**Edited 2010 *insert something witty here***

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 5: Injured Chuunin and Crazy Jounin**

Is this it? Am I dead?

_It didn't feel bad at all. He felt cradled, like something had wrapped around him and would hold him safe, protected. There was a new noise, it was clear and strong. A fast beat:_ Ba-bump, ba-bump.

_A voice seemed to light the darkness, like a candle in a blackened room. It was very familiar though he couldn't place it._

_"I've got you, Iruka. I've got you. Don't leave me, love. Please, don't leave me alone."_

_It sounded desperate, pleading and scared and desperate. It touched his heart, igniting a candle of his own in the darkness._

Ok_,_ _he thought_. I'll stay.

**…**

Floating. Darkness all around. Still. Quiet. Total silence. It made Iruka think of the pond he'd fell into when a small boy visiting his grandparents in the countryside. They had owned a farm to the east of Konoha which had a small lake down the hill from their ancient stone cottage. It was winter time and the water had iced over. His grandpa had told him that sometimes you could walk across the ice and see fish beneath. He had wanted to go right then and see the fish swimming below the ice but the evening was late and he had been tucked into bed.

Early the next morning, before sunrise and without waking anyone in the house, he had stolen down to the pond edge and walked out. He was too young to understand that it was still too early in the season for the ice to be thick enough to hold much weight. It broke and down the little boy had plummeted into the icy darkness. The shock of the freezing water made his small body seize up and for just a moment, he had floated in perfect still water. Immobilised in the inky depths and cocooned in its deadly serenity.

This was the same, just without the freezing temperature. He floated in the nothingness. It was a comforting place but there was something nagging at the back of his mind. What was that? It had come through the darkness, quietly at first and from a great distance. He recognised that sound. It was something he knew he heard every day but he just couldn't quite place it. It meant he had to do something… but what?

Iruka just wanted to stay in this dark place and float; he didn't want to do anything. It was so peaceful and felt right. But that sound, what was it? What did he have to do? It was starting to disturb and worry him. Mentally sighing, Iruka decided that his rest had already been interrupted and he might as well investigate the source of that disruption. Focusing on the strange noise, he began to follow it. The sound steadily grew louder the closer he got. Other muted noises began to seep into his consciousness and before he knew what was happening the Chuunin felt himself surging upwards with ever increasing speed.

It was like breaking the surface of a still pond and emerging into chaos. Light, blinding and painfully bright, attacked his sensitive eyes after so much darkness. Loud sounds came from all directions and pounded incoherently through his aching head. Iruka blinked slowly, allowing his eyes to adjust and his sight become gradually less blurry. Acknowledging his other senses, he realised he was lying down and the bed underneath was very firm. His skin itched all over and there was the awful combination of blood and antiseptic in the air. He was also in a world of pain. _Everything_ hurt. There was not one part of his body that wasn't screaming in protest at being awake, it was almost enough to drag him back down into unconsciousness. The poor Chuunin was completely bemused. Where was he and why on earth was he in so much pain.

_What happened?_

Images from the fight against Mist flooded his mind like a dam bursting and engulfing an unsuspecting village. The clear picture of his opponent's head exploding made Iruka gasp then flinch at the pain in his throat and chest from the sharp intake of air.

_Rikiryou. I beat him!_

A strange mixture of pride and horror swirled in his chest at the defeat of a much stronger adversary and length he'd had to go to for victory.

_We must have won. I'd be dead for sure if we hadn't won! Oh thank you, Kami, we won._

A tear of sheer relief slid from his eye to tickle its way to his ear and drip onto the pillow below.

Twisting his head carefully but painfully to the side, Iruka could see people everywhere. They were sitting in chairs, lying in rows on makeshift beds, or just leaning against walls. Everyone was dirty and more then a few were bleeding. The room was filled to overflowing with people. Doctors and nurses in white coats rushed between the injured, writing on clipboards and tending to wounds. There were so many people; it was an incredible sight to behold. Vaguely, Iruka recognised where he was.

_The hospital's emergency room?_ _I've not seen so many injured since the Kyuubi attack._ _I don't want to see this._

Just as he was about to give in to the darkness once more, the sound that had originally disturbed his rest and forced him from his wonderful cocoon drifted to his ears. Ignoring the pain and twisting his head a little further, Iruka saw two small girls crouched against the wall next to his bed. They were holding each other tightly and sobbing quietly while adults rushed past completely unaware. Indignation flared in Iruka's chest that the poor children were alone and being completely ignored. How long had they been there like that? Where were their parents? Looking closer, he recognised them from a neighbouring teacher's class. Digging into his hazy mind, Iruka called up the two young Genins' names.

Opening his mouth, he tried to speak but only a tiny croak came out. He couldn't talk; his throat was too damaged from the fight. Focusing on the little bodies again, he could clearly see they were shivering from the cold and he couldn't blame them, even covered in a blanket he felt as though his feet were numb.

_Though that's more likely due to blood loss than temperature._

Glancing at the clock across the room, he saw it was just after 2:00 and judging from the darkness outside the main doors he would guess that was _am_. Definitely time children should be in bed. Taking as deeper breath as his ribs would allow, Iruka gathered what strength he had and rolled to the edge of the bed. He was in a lot of pain but judging by how detached he felt the academy teacher surmised he was pumped full of pain killers. He purposely didn't look over himself as he was sure he didn't want to know how much damage had been done.

Sliding to his knees, Iruka thankfully didn't have to crawl far to reach the children. Placing a comforting hand on their shoulders he was immediately the target of two sets of fearful dark eyes.

_Can't blame them for that, I probably look terrible_.

One of the little girl's eyes suddenly widened and she whispered between tears, "Iruka-sensei?"

He gave them a tired smile and ignored how it pulled at his bruised face. The girls instantly looked relieved. Trying to unsuccessfully talk again, Iruka gave up and instead used little nudges to usher the girls into his previously occupied bed. They were too exhausted to put up any form of resistance and the relief of having someone of higher authority telling them what to do was clear on both the small, dirty faces. As soon as their heads hit the pillow, the children fell asleep, snuggling into each others arms for warmth and sighing at the residual heat the teacher had left behind. Said teacher had only enough left in him to pull the blanket over their shoulders before sighing and collapsing against the wall. Closing his eyes, Iruka sank blissfully back into the still darkness.

**…**

The area had been completely cleared of all enemies, a series of patrol perimeters set, and clean up commenced. Kakashi thanked the higher powers that he wasn't on body disposal duty. The skies near Konoha would be dark with the smoke and scent of burning corpses for the next day or so, but thus was the way of war. He had dismissed his team to go home and get some rest before heading to the hospital to find Tsunade and report their status.

His fellow shinobi had been stunned when he'd volunteered to report in, seasoned soldiers looking at him like he'd finally gone completely mad and was more terrifying than the entire Mist army. One of the kunoichi had even taken an unintended step backwards and half raised her hands in a defensive posture. Sighing, he'd left them with a one eyed smile and a deeper understanding of his reputation as a lazy Jounin. It was good to shock his fellow ninja occasionally, though. As one of the more experienced and powerful Shinobi in the village, Kakashi felt it was his responsibility to keep the young ones on their toes. Keep them continuously reassessing their comrades. Chuckling quietly to himself, Kakashi slipped through one of the hospital's back entries and went in search of the Hokage. Who said he didn't have a sense of humour?

The truth was all he wanted to do was check on Iruka. Kakashi had been fighting two very powerful Jounin, so powerful in fact that he'd had to uncover his Sharingan to defeat them. The woman and dark skinned man had been very skilled and the three of them had fought furiously without finding an opening for a killing blow. If it had been one on one Kakashi had no doubt he could have dispatched his enemies, but with the two of them teamed up it had made the situation extremely difficult and deadly.

Kurenai's horrified cry of Iruka's name had alerted him seconds before he'd seen his beloved held above that monster's head. The Copy-nin would never – and he meant _never_ because the blasted Sharingan had memorised the entire scene – forget that moment when time stood still and his vision had narrowed to the bleeding and broken Chuunin. The chocolate haired man had hung like a limp doll in the hands of the Mist leader.

Kakashi had very little memory of the next few seconds and knew that he'd suffered from tunnel vision. What he did remember was something deep inside of him snapping and the bloodied corpses swathed in red and saffron that had been giving him so much trouble before. He'd sped towards Iruka, killing with blinding speed any enemy in his path. He'd watched as the brilliant man he cared for so deeply stabbed something into the leader's eye, making the massive man squeal like a pig and drop him. He was mildly aware of an explosion but paid it no attention as he reached to catch the falling teacher. In those last few moments, Kakashi was not aware of any sound, smell, or sight other then Iruka hurtling toward the ground. It was not until his arms closed around the limp body and he knew he could hold his Chuunin safe that his senses snapped back into working order. The great Copy Ninja had never been so terrified in his entire life.

Kakashi had left Iruka in a terrifyingly bloodied state on a hospital bed swiftly being soaked crimson. A stupid little intern had originally tried to convince the Jounin that there were others that needed to be tended to first and Iruka was not an emergency case. She had abruptly fallen quiet and run from the room when he had fixed her with a glare hard enough to make even the torture specialist Morino Ibiki take a cautious step back. The Hokage had heard the intern's comment just as she was arriving to treat the badly injured Chuunin and snapped at the intern to keep her judgements to herself go do something useful.

Tsunade had turned pale when she saw the condition of the much loved and gentle academy teacher. He was quickly bruising all over and bleeding from so many wounds it was impossible to count. The worst of it all was that everyone could see directly through the hole in his shoulder to the blood soaked bed below. Quickly, Tsunade had ushered Kakashi from the room with orders for patrols and clearing their land of enemy.

"I need to know if he'll be alright first!" Kakashi had demanded, refusing to let the horribly pale Chuunin out of his sight.

Tsunade had given him a sympathetic look before whispering to him quietly, "If that enemy force isn't removed from our territory _none_ of us will be alright. The best thing you can do right now to protect Iruka is get those fucking Mist shinobi out of our borders." She'd squeezed his shoulder and given him a gentle yet powerful shove out the door. "Follow my orders, Konoha Shinobi. Protect us out there and I'll make sure those in here survive."

Tsunade had said the perfect thing to get Kakashi back out in the field and doing what he did best. Knowing his Chuunin was in the hands of the most gifted healer the country had ever seen, the Jounin pushed all his fears aside and allowed the cold killer to take over. Killing swiftly and without a sound, he hunted anyone that was party to harming his home village. Even the Hidden Leaf ninja he'd worked along side of for the last decade were stunned and terrified with his stealth, speed, and seemingly effortless slaughter. Kakashi had just wanted to get the job done as quickly as possible and get back to the academy sensei fighting for his life. His coldly controlled killing spree and volunteering to report to the Hokage pretty much guaranteed the other ninja would leave him alone for a good while. Except for Gai of course, the man really was thick headed.

After wandering a few corridors, he spied the blond haired Sannin walking out of a room looking haggard and drawn. Shizune was following behind trying to make Tsunade drink a cup of tea and madly scribbling notes on a clipboard at the same time. Upon seeing Kakashi, Tsunade pushed the tea away and fixed him with a hard stare.

"Report," she snapped.

"All clear. Patrols continuing and clean up has commenced."

Some of the hardness around her eyes cleared and she allowed herself to heave a sigh.

"Good," she breathed before frowning once more. "The bastards had to hit us during the hospital expansion process. It's the worst possible time."

"Or best, depending on which side you're looking at," Kakashi commented dryly.

That earned him a scowl before her face fell and she just looked plain exhausted.

"We're over capacity and the wounded are still coming in, but we're coping… barely. No one's really getting the level of treatment and support they should but we've not had someone enter the doors and meet death tonight. I aim to keep it that way," the Hokage finished with a determined huff. "All the rooms are full and we've started tucking people into any corner we can."

Shaking her head, she took a deep breath and fixed Kakashi with a steel gaze.

"You injured?"

"Nope," he informed her with one of his famous one eyed smiles, "just a few scratches."

"Good, go home and get some rest then." Walking off down the hall, she called over her shoulder, "I have too many patents waiting to waste time on a brat like you."

Kakashi caught her slight smile as she turned and went on her way, Shizune trotting at her heals and giving information on the next casualty. With a dark smirk, the silver haired Jounin pulled his mask down swiftly and sniffed the air before turning and heading in the direction of the hospital's main waiting room.

"Allow me to take one off your hands then," he mumbled quietly.

Turning the corner, Kakashi cast his eye around the crowded room for where the teacher might be lying. Spotting a bed in a darkened corner he started that way. Shock hit him hard in the chest when he sighted the dark haired man slumped on the floor, leaning against the wall next to the bed.

"What the _hell_," he growled, ready to tear apart whoever had stolen Iruka's bed and left the horribly injured man on the cold floor.

When he saw the two little figures curled up in each others arms, though, he knew exactly what had happened. All the anger dissipated immediately. Kneeling down next to the shivering, unconscious man, Kakashi gathered him carefully into his arms. He took a moment to revel in the fact that his Chuunin was still breathing and alive. His breath hitch slightly as Iruka weakly pressed closer into the warmth of his body. Feeling how cold the teacher was, Kakashi couldn't help but heave a sigh and feel a pang in his heart.

"Oh, Iruka. Would you stop sacrificing for others? You've given enough already," he whispered into the long, blood crusted hair.

Making the necessary hand signs, the two men disappeared in a puff of chakra smoke.

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**AN: sigh I know it was a long time between updates, but I had family visiting. In fact, my brother came to stay and he monopolised my computer. I had to encrypt and hide my story files. As much as I love these characters and the yaoi pairing, I'm afraid my family just would not accept and would get very judgemental over it. My partner knows and he really couldn't care less because he's fantastic. I'm sure some of you readers have this issue also.**

**No cliff-hanger this time. I'm home from work and sick today so I'll spend a little time on Ch6 and see if I can't get it out sooner. Huggs and kisses to all that reviewed, you're awesome! I love reading your comments.**


	6. Fuzzy Thoughts and Snoring Pillows

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I did design that glyph though.**

**Edited 2010 and the names of Kakashi's ninken were finally released ^_^**

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 6: Fuzzy Thoughts and Snoring Pillows**

_"What the __hell__," he growled, ready to tear apart whoever had stolen Iruka's bed and left the horribly injured man on the cold floor._

_When he saw the two little figures curled up in each others arms, though, he knew exactly what had happened. All the anger dissipated immediately. Kneeling down next to the shivering, unconscious man, Kakashi gathered him carefully into his arms. He took a moment to revel in the fact that his Chuunin was still breathing and alive. His breath hitch slightly as Iruka weakly pressed closer into the warmth of his body. Feeling how cold the teacher was, Kakashi couldn't help but heave a sigh and feel a pang in his heart._

_"Oh, Iruka. Would you stop sacrificing for others? You've given enough already," he whispered into the long, blood crusted hair._

_Making the necessary hand signs, the two men disappeared in a puff of chakra smoke._

**…**

Kakashi reappeared in the lounge room of his house with a quiet _pop_ and puff of chakra smoke. Eight furry heads turned at his appearance. Tired, half-lidded eyes became curious when the dogs saw the unconscious man cradled in their master's arms.

"Iruka-sensei!" exclaimed Pakkun, hurriedly backing out of Kakashi's way as the Jounin headed straight for the bedroom. "Shouldn't he be at the hospital?"

"They weren't caring for him," Kakashi said, displeasure obvious in his voice. "He gave up his bed to a couple of kids, collapsed on the cold floor, and the doctors just kept running by like he didn't even exist." The last word ended in a growl.

Turning into the hallway, Kakashi looked down at the blood and dirt covered man in his arms feeling his ire rise another couple of notches.

_No one even bothered to clean the blood from his face!_

Growling again, he walked past the bedroom and turned into the bathroom instead.

"Akino," Kakashi called over his shoulder, "get a blanket from the hall cupboard and come help."

His command was instantly followed by the sound of scampering claws and the creek of door hinges. The bespectacled dog carried in a soft old blanket and immediately began to spread it over the bathroom tiles with nose and paws. Akino had done this countless times when his master had come home injured from missions.

Kakashi gently lowered Iruka onto the blanket and very slowly laid him out on his back, being careful not to reopen any wounds. The Chuunin's shirt had been cut away from his left shoulder when he'd received treatment, but not completely removed. Pulling out a kunai, the silver haired man swiftly sliced away the rest of the ruined material. It was thrown into the bathtub where it landed in a sodden pile, so thoroughly soaked with its owner's blood. The ruined jeans soon followed. Dampening a towel with warm water, Kakashi carefully began to clean the crusting muck from skin that was frighteningly pallid colour. As he continued his ministrations, Akino inspected the injured man's wounds and couldn't help but wince in sympathy at the badly damaged shoulder.

"That looks terrible," he murmured. "The doctor didn't finish closing it and the stitch job's rushed. It'll heal badly."

"I know. It's not Tsunade's fault." The wet, blood stained towel joined the ruined clothes as another was wetted and the process repeated. Eventually, a fresh towel dried the cleaner skin. "She had to conserve her energy with so many wounded pouring in." Kakashi picked up the kunai and carefully sliced through the stitches. "Let's finish the job."

The wound stood open and both man and dog could see the horrific damage done. The bone, nerves, tendons, veins, and arteries had all been reconnected; everything else had been left to heal on its own. Again, Akino winced in sympathy.

"She's done the hard part at least," Kakashi murmured thoughtfully.

Taking a deep breath, he looked at his loyal ninken and tried to ignore the reflection of a tired and haggard looking silver haired man in the dark glasses.

"Ready? There're more wounds than this. It's going to take awhile."

"Do you have enough chakra?" the dog asked. "You were out fighting an awfully long time. Long after you sent us home."

"I was conservative." Kakashi frowned and lightly ran his fingers through long, dirty locks. "I couldn't get to him, Akino. I tried but there were these two damn elites blocking me at every turn."

The Jounin took a shuddering breath and stared down at the man lying almost lifeless on his bathroom floor.

"I told him to run. I created an opening for him but he kept getting trapped. I… I just couldn't get to him."

Akino leaned over and nuzzled his master's neck before resting his head on the man's slumped shoulder.

"I know," the dog said soothingly. "Don't forget, boss, that in the end you _did_ get to him. He's here now and still alive because you got to him. But there's time for this later. Right now we have work to do."

Releasing a long sigh, Kakashi firmly stamped down on the fluttering guilt in his chest and began directing healing chakra to his hands. Akino was right, he had work to do.

**…**

For someone who was used to waking up alert and defensive, coming out of sleep slowly and leisurely was a novelty that never wore thin for Iruka. Unfortunately it also usually meant he was badly injured and would be in a lot of pain very soon. Allowing his senses to slowly awaken, the Chuunin was disturbed to realise just how sluggish and fuzzy his head was. Nothing seemed to make sense and his thoughts refused to come into focus, lazily drifting about like leaves on a pond. He decided to try concentrating on the simple things.

Iruka knew he was warm and on a very comfortable bed surrounded by lumpy objects. He could feel them pressed against him gently but on the outside of the blanket coving his body, giving the sensation that he was securely tucked into bed and surrounded by pillows. Except that the pillows were breathing. He would worry about that later, breathing pillows were far to complicated at that moment. He was incredibly comfortable and the bed he was lying on seemed to be soft as a cloud so he'd hazard a guess he wasn't in the hospital anymore.

Iruka also knew he was safe, in fact he had never felt so safe in his entire life. It felt like he'd been wrapped in a blanket of protection and nothing would ever be able to touch him again. Except that something was touching him. There was a weight on his chest sitting directly over his heart. He was pretty sure that wasn't usually there. It was very warm and made his skin tingle nicely. Why did it make his skin tingle like that? It was a very familiar sensation; he knew he should be able to recognise it.

_Concentrate now, you can do it. _

The answer came swimming lazily from his fog wrapped mind. Ah, of course! It was chakra.

_Right, good work, brain! _

He knew it wasn't his chakra so it must have been someone else's.

_Well, that's a b__rilliant deduction,_ he mocked himself in frustration.

Mentally sighing and trying to focus again, Iruka concentrated on the chakra that started at his chest. It was incredibly intense and extremely well controlled. Who ever this chakra belonged to they were immensely powerful. The energy drifted lightly and gently though his body's chakra system, almost as if it was keeping a constant monitor on him while trying not to be invasive. It linked with his own chakra to… wait a minute!

_Where's my chakra? _

Iruka couldn't feel any of his own energy force in his body at all! This was bad, very bad. Even when he had undergone interrogation training had chakra restricting devices put on him he could still feel it, just not use it.

_What the hell is going on?_

Struggling desperately to open his eyes, Iruka let out a soft, barely audible whimper of distress at how incredibly weak he was. Panic started to rise and further fog his mind, making his tired heart beat faster. He was so weak he couldn't even open his eyes!

At his distressed sound, the weight lifted from his chest and slid up his body to softly stroke his face before fingers laced through his hair soothingly. Who was this? Where was he? Iruka couldn't help but throw a quick mental tantrum. It seemed every damn time he woke up he was in a different place! And why the hell did this place smell like dog?

"Shhh…" Warm breath ghosted across his cheek. "You have to calm down now. You're safe, I'm here. Just rest, I've got you."

The fingers continued their caress and Iruka found himself placated by their touch and the deep, calming voice.

_I know that voice. Where… that voice…?_

His thoughts became increasingly drowsy as the fingers continued their comforting movement and he felt himself drifting back into the blissful embrace of slumber.

"That's it, Iruka, sleep now. I won't leave you."

_Ok,_ he thought dopily on the edge of unconsciousness once more, w_hy is that pillow snoring?_

**…**

Tap! Tap! Tap!

The Hokage's falcon became increasingly irritable as it knocked its beak against the pane of the lazy-ass Jounin's lounge room window, watching said Jounin through the glass with beady eyes.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

The lazy-ass Jounin himself stood at his kitchen sink draining the last mouthful of tea before rising the cup and setting it aside to dry. It had been a busy night and Kakashi wanted nothing more than to live up to his demeaning (but carefully cultivated) reputation and crawl back into bed. That wasn't surprising, though, as his bed contained something much more appealing than just the promise of sleep at the moment. But, he was being summoned and one must answer the Hokage's summons.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

It obviously wasn't dire if the falcon had been sent instead of an ANBU, however, they were at war. Kakashi wouldn't keep his village leader waiting any more than a few minutes while he made sure his newly 'acquired' charge was safe and comfortable until his return. Iruka had managed to swallow the watered down sweet miso soup he had made that morning and drink some tea. Kakashi had propped the still unconscious Chuunin into a sitting position leaning back on a mountain of pillows and carefully helped him drink the soup and tea, coaxing it down by gently rubbing the recently healed throat. Everything had been left to cool so there was no chance of burning the still extremely tender tissues. Kakashi could not describe the relief he'd felt when Iruka had swallowed for the first time and not hacked up blood. All he wanted to do was curl up next to the injured man, keep him warm, and watch him sleep. Kakashi was still very tired from the previous day himself.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

It was not to be. He quickly checked the various traps securing his apartment, satisfying himself that all was in order before heading to the bedroom. Once there, Kakashi couldn't help but pause and lean against the door frame to take in the vision of a sleeping angel surrounded by a pack of snoring dogs. Iruka's colour was still pale but had improved since he'd taken food, no longer having the horrid greyish cast from the night before. He was breathing easily again without the pained hitch from before the Jounin had mended the multiple breaks to four of his ribs. The scaphoid bone in his right wrist had had a crack in it and all other injuries had been attended to, including a nasty gash to the back of his head.

The Chuunin was in much better condition compared to ten hours earlier, but still gravely injured. The incredibly deep bruising, total chakra drain, and lingering concussion were the biggest obstacles left and they would take time and rest to rectify. Kakashi was optimistic that while the Chuunin would undoubtedly suffer from some nightmares there would be no long-term psychological damage. He just hoped that he would be as fortunate. The imprinted image of Iruka held seemingly lifeless in the air flashed through his mind again before he forced it away and focused back on the peacefully resting teacher.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Kakashi heaved a sigh. The dogs felt a ripple in their master's chakra and raised their heads to receive orders.

"Look after him."

A small _pop_ and puff of smoke and the dogs went back to their lazing.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

The falcon hadn't realise Kakashi was gone.

**…**

It was only 10:33am and Tsunade already had a pounding headache. That was understandable, though, considering she'd only had two hours sleep and been healing people all night. The worst casualties were stabilised and the other medical staff at the hospital could take care of the rest. Currently, Ibiki was reporting on the information he had managed to extract from one of the Mist shinobi taken alive. It pointed to some interesting and disturbing possibilities. Something that would most definitely require further investigation. Their conversation was cut off by a knock at the door.

"Get in here!" Tsunade yelled, not bothering to look up from the map she and Ibiki were looking over.

The door closed with a soft click.

"Yo."

"What the hell took you so long, brat?" the Hokage snapped, looking up and searching around before adding. "And where's H**ane**?"

Kakashi lifted a shoulder in a lazy shrug but there was a twinkle of amusement in the grey eye.

"Probably still banging his head against my window," was the blasé reply.

Tsunade scowled and crossed her arms across the expanse of her impressive bosom. Kakashi had done a quick sweep of the office when he first entered. The windows that had been broken in the explosion were carefully boarded up, waiting for new glass. The floor had been swept of any shards and there was a new rug laid beneath the Hokage's desk stretching out in a large circle. That was interesting.

"You're lucky he didn't bust in and peck your ear off."

The single eye curved into a smile. "He tried that once but ran into the four-legged greeting party. Terrible mess, feathers everywhere. So, why've you summon me, Tsunade-sama?"

Amused annoyance flashed in the Hokage's eyes at the story of her messenger hawk, but she didn't rise to the bait. Instead her features settled into an expression that clearly indicated she was all business and he had better prepare himself to receive orders. Tsunade indicated the chair across from her desk before seating herself. Resting her elbows on the table and hands folding to support her head, her mouth rested behind her fingers. Kakashi was intrigued.

"If you're so worried about someone reading your lips why don't you just close the curtains? You've already drawn a silencing glyph on the floor under the rug so it's clear the situation needs to be kept private. Obviously, no one's going to read my lips but why are you trying to hide the fact that you're taking extra security precautions? We are at war, it is to be expected."

Tsunade couldn't stop the pride that snuck into her eyes as she turned to Ibiki and nodded. He drew the curtains.

"We were right to choose you," she said.

Kakashi inclined his head slightly at the compliment. "How may I be of service, Hokage-sama?"

Ibiki was the one who answered.

"Kakashi, it has come to our attention that the attack by Mist was not an initiative of the Country of Water nor was it under the order of the Mizukage. It was actually orchestrated and, we have reason to believe, initiated by a group of shinobi from this village."

The single grey eye did not look bored anymore.

"One of the prisoners cracked under interrogation and gave up information pertaining to the organisers of this _fiasco_," the torture specialist almost spat the last word. "It seems that's how they knew to hit us at the peak of the hospital renovation. It wasn't expected that we would cope as well as we did or that a certain unassuming Chuunin would be in the wrong place at the right time to give them so much trouble."

Neither Ibiki nor Tsunade missed the brief flash of pride and pain that flittered through Kakashi's eye for less than a heartbeat. Tsunade fixed the Sharingan user with a stern gaze.

"There will be no mission scroll. You will put together a team of three and you have the liberty to choose your team mates. But, ensure you trust them impeccably, with your life and more importantly with the lives of those you love. The mission is to gather intelligence and investigate if there is a plot against Konoha by any of its citizens and, if there is, how far it goes. You will begin your investigation tomorrow when you're rested from the battle. Until I deem this mission to be complete, you and your chosen team will not have any missions outside of the village. Understood?"

"Understood," Kakashi confirmed.

"You have until tonight to chose your team and brief them in the mission. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that this is of the utmost secrecy. Any information your team collects is to be reported to either myself or your ANBU captain," she said, inclining her head towards Ibiki.

Ibiki had been captain of the ANBU for quite some years and was the most respected captain since Kakashi had held the position. Kakashi had rejoined ANBU after the initial split of Team 7 when Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura decided to apprentice themselves to the Sannin. He'd needed something to fill the gap and knew he could never take on another Genin team. Not after what had happened.

Even after Sasuke had returned – well, been dragged back unconscious and bleeding by a very pissed off Naruto – and his team was reunited he had continued to take the ANBU missions. As torturous as they could be they were also an outlet. An outlet he sometimes needed, though he had declined the offered position of captain.

"I understand my mission and will report back once I have chosen my team."

Tsunade nodded. "You will receive further mission details tomorrow. Dismissed."

Kakashi had almost reached the door when Tsunade's voice called out to stop him.

"Oh, I almost forgot," she said in a deceptively sweet tone that had him instantly on edge. "It seems one of our patients was taken from the hospital last night without being discharged. A certain Chuunin sensei. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

He turned slowly, the lazy demeanour not shifting an iota. His eye, however, had hardened and Tsunade was forced to suppress a smirk.

"Did you complete his treatment?" she asked.

Kakashi gave a single nod to the affirmative.

"I've never seen such a complete drain of Chakra before," the Hokage sighed. "He used everything, Kakashi. _Everything_. He should be in hospital, actually he should be dead. With what his body was put through there's no way he should have survived… the man must have the will of a lion. He should be in hospital but with it so full of needy patients he'll likely have better care with you."

Kakashi's eye lost some of the hardness around the edges. Tsunade had to make sure the Jounin knew what he was getting himself into by taking the Chuunin into his care.

"He's in for a very hard time. His house was completely destroyed in the first attack. He's lost absolutely everything except for the clothes on his back and last I saw they were in pretty poor condition."

_Even worse now_. Kakashi thought of the sliced up material in his bin.

"To add to this, it will take a long time for him to recover from that chakra drain. He's going to be weak as a kitten for quite awhile and no stronger then a civilian for months after that. This will be a very slow healing process and Iruka-sensei will be extremely vulnerable in the mean time, physically and emotionally." Tsunade fixed the Copy-nin with piercing eyes. "Think you can handle that?"

Kakashi stared right back.

"Absolutely." There was no doubt in his voice.

Tsunade smiled, "Good. I'll send a medic over to check on him when there's one available. Now get out of here and rest, you're going to be busy."

Kakashi turned and headed out the door, raising one hand in a languid farewell.

"Yes, yes," he answered on a sigh.

"One yes will do, brat!" Tsunade snapped after him as the door clicked closed.

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**AN: I've not decided who will be Kakashi's two team mates yet so I'm open to suggestions. Click review and let me know who you'd like.**

**Some of your comments hold little quirks of my story that I didn't really think about so you'll find them starting to be written in. For example the Ch 5 review from pleiadeswolfe. He is constantly waking up in a different location so you'll notice I worked in his response to that in the above text. See! I do pay attention to you my precious little reviewers. Now I'm greedy for some more so click that button. Go on, you know you want to *wink wink nudge nudge***


	7. Difficult Decisions and a Torturous Embr

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I wasn't even considered for Kakashi's team *sob***

**AN: when I first wrote this story we didn't know that Bull couldn't speak. I decided to leave it as is because I like it better this way. Edited 2010 because the formatting was shot.**

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 7: Difficult Decisions and a Torturous Embrace**

_"To add to this, it will take a long time for him to recover from that chakra drain. He's going to be weak as a kitten for quite awhile and no stronger then a civilian for months after that. This will be a very slow healing process and Iruka-sensei will be extremely vulnerable in the mean time, physically and emotionally." Tsunade fixed the Copy-nin with piercing eyes. "Think you can handle that?"_

_Kakashi stared right back._

_"Absolutely." There was no doubt in his voice._

_Tsunade smiled, "Good. I'll send a medic over to check on him when there's one available. Now get out of here and rest, you're going to be busy."_

_Kakashi turned and headed out the door, raising one hand in a languid farewell._

_"Yes, yes," he answered on a sigh._

_"One yes will do, brat!" Tsunade snapped after him as the door clicked closed._

**…**

To choose two people he trusted with his life and the lives of those he loved. Two people with unflinching loyalty to Konoha and the skills to carry out the mission he had been assigned. Sighing, Kakashi slipped his hands into his pockets and exited the Hokage tower. Unfortunately, his number one choice, which perfectly fitted every one of those criteria, was lying unconscious in his bed. There were very few others he would trust to the extent the Hokage was demanding. Ticking them off mentally, Kakashi allowed his feet to lead him instinctually leaving his brain to work freely.

His most trusted person – though would never admit it out loud, even under the most excruciating torture – was Maito Gai. The 'Beautiful Green Beast' was seen by all as loud, overbearing, flamboyant, annoyingly optimistic, and _sparkly_. He was also considered to be stupid by over 90 per cent of the hidden village's citizens, including the shinobi section. 92.4 per cent to be precise. One of the challenges Gai had set was to see who was considered the more intelligent in the public's opinion. 3 per cent didn't bother to answer the survey and all votes for Kakashi were in Naruto's handwriting.

The villagers knew Gai was undoubtedly strong, fast like a freak, and very hard working, but considered him brainless. Kakashi, however, had worked with Gai for well over a decade and the taijutsuist was the Copy-nin's oldest friend. He knew the taijutsu master was highly intelligent (one did not become Jounin otherwise), extremely diligent, and loyal to a fault. His flashy appearance and the misconception that he was as thick as his eyebrows could work in their favour. People would be willing to make snide comments to him and not expect the green-machine to pick up on the subtle undertones.

His second choice would be the hardest. There were many specialised skills scattered amongst the shinobi of the village, the majority of which would definitely be useful for this kind of mission. His old Genin team was first through his thoughts of course. Sakura was out of the question, she had just never completely convinced him that she could think for herself. She followed orders too readily without ever questioning them. Naruto, on the other hand, rarely followed orders and constantly questioned everything. He was too hot headed for this kind of stealth mission and with Iruka involved the blond couldn't be trusted not to do something rash. Plus, Kakashi already had Gai and that was as loud as he wanted his team to get. Sasuke would have been an ideal choice but last Uchiha had proven to be very unpredictable in the past. It was true, however, that the moody brat would do anything to protect the village that his beloved was so deeply devoted to (even though the object of that love was so completely unaware of Sasuke's feelings).

Kakashi thought of using one of the Nara clan. They were brilliant, to be sure, but so was Kakashi and with Gai to bounce ideas off the Copy-nin didn't feel the need for another genius. Their shadow-bind jutsu would also not be as useful as another trait, such as the byakugan. Now, the Hyuuga were one of Konoha's oldest and most respected clans, and that Neji certainly was a prodigy. Unfortunately, along with their blood limit came a rather elite level of arrogance and Kakashi didn't have the time to be debating his orders with a cocky underling. The Hyuuga clan was scratched from his mental list.

There was no point considering the Inuzuka as anything their hounds could do his could certainly do better and they were all hot heads. Perhaps the Aburame clan would be a good option. Certainly their insects would be inconspicuous and excellent for tracking, they were intelligent and quiet as well as being very cool headed. Kakashi tucked them away for reconsideration later. Continuing to work through the streets, the silver haired Jounin flicked through every clan and solo soldier that came to mind until his brain finally registered where his feet had taken him. Instinct had led him to where he always went when most troubled or in need of a distraction to help clear his head. His feet had taken him to Iruka's apartment.

Except that it was no longer there. The Hokage had not been kidding when she'd said the academy sensei had lost 'absolutely everything'. The entire building that had once housed the gentle school teacher's home was an indented patch of dust and rubble. Not even a whole brick could be seen of what was once a warm and peaceful home. The tree where Kakashi would sit and watch the teacher cook or grade school work was gone.

That tree had been designed especially for him by the gods, offering an unhindered view through Iruka's lounge room window and the perfect density of leaf cover to conceal him from below. His chest tightened when he realised that he would never again return from a long mission, sit on that wonderful branch, and watch Iruka moving comfortably around his kitchen. Never again would he experience one of the rare and heart wrenchingly perfect moments when his Chuunin would pick up the old guitar and play soft, peaceful music for hours. He remembered the first time he'd seen and heard Iruka play.

**Three years earlier…**

The world was mocking him. The night was foul. A drizzling rain fell in slow, fat drops from dark, angry clouds above. The wind was balmy but the atmosphere humid, heavy, and unpredictable. The falling droplets made no progress in cleansing the blood soaked ANBU skulking through the deep shadows, surrounded by an aura of death and destruction. He had done terrible things. Terrible, horrifying things that no man should ever have to live with the memory of doing. He had killed without thought or pause. Men, women, children, it had made no difference. He'd been ordered to annihilate and annihilate he had.

No, a man should never have to live with the memories of having done what he had. Thus, there was only one conclusion that could be reached: he was not a man. He was a _monster_. A blight on the earth's surface that shouldn't exist and needed to be eradicated as soon as possible.

He would dispose of this monster, he would dispose of himself. It was the only decent thing he could possibly do, the only honourable path left to a creature of heedless death was to find death himself. Perhaps this son was destined to follow in the footsteps of his father after all. It was a finale many would find ironic and memorable. He had just one thing left to do before he would end it for good. He had to give himself one last gift, one last precious memory to carry into the dark unknown though he knew he didn't deserve it.

Leaping into the branches of a near by tree, he crouched down to look a final time on the man that had intrigued him these past few years. A man that held a seemingly endless supply of warmth and compassion in a world full of hate and death. Iruka was sitting at the low coffee table in the lounge room marking papers. A red pen held in his battle scarred fingers sweeping across the page. When the teacher had finished marking, the paper would be added neatly to the stack on his left. There was only a few assignments left to be graded.

Once they were done, Iruka would place them back into his satchel, put it near the front door, and then head to bed. That was the Chuunin's routine and the man hidden in the tree knew it well, had observed it many times yet somehow never tired of the sequence. That night proved to be different, however. The marking was done and slipped into the old satchel, which was then placed near the door, but the dark haired teacher did not move towards the bedroom. Instead, he did something completely unexpected.

Walking just out of sight for a moment, Iruka was soon back and standing right in front of the window with an old, well worn acoustic guitar clasped familiarly in his hand. Pushing the window open and inhaling deeply the fresh scent of earth on the moist air, the Chuunin sat on the wide window sill. His back rested against the wall and one leg dangled down the outside of the building while the other rested with knee straight along the frame. The balmy breeze teased strands of long hair fallen loose from the high pony-tail. With a glance up at the overcast sky, Iruka started to play.

The ANBU had heard all kinds of music that invoked all range of emotions, from the most elated joy to darkest sorrow. He had never heard music like this before. The man on the window sill played melodies that evoked calm and peace. He played softly drifting tunes that were lifted by the wind and carried to the blood soaked monster hidden in the tree. Iruka did not sing, only occasionally humming in a steady controlled timbre that promised a rich and smooth voice.

The Chuunin played haunting and soothing melodies unceasingly for hours, each song drifting into the next seamlessly. He played until the rain had cleared and a full moon broke through the clouds to bathe the world in a sliver glow. It was as if he chased away the clouds and opened the path to a clear heaven. When finally his fingers were too sore to continue holding down strings, the guitar was laid to rest and a serene face lifted to the glowing moon. Lips whispered "Goodnight." to the clearing sky and emerging stars. Iruka closed the window and headed for the bedroom, the apartment lights shut down leaving the building dark.

The monster removed his mask and finally released a pent up breath. He stared at the blackened window as realisation slowly dawned clear and strong. How could he be a monster when he was so deeply in love?

Looking down, the ANBU discovered that in the hours of sitting in the rain the blood had been washed away, his body cleansed. His mind was calm and his soul pulled from its turmoil. Kakashi was once again a man and now he had someone to live for. It was the first time Umino Iruka saved his life, though the Chuunin never knew.

**End flashback**

The guitar that had healed him was gone, smashed to dust and destroyed with all the other possessions of his beloved Chuunin. Not even a photograph of Iruka's parents had survived the crushing blow and further destruction of the chakra shield. It had all been stripped away by Konoha betrayers for a traitorous cause. A cause Kakashi would unearth.

Kakashi needed someone highly trained, someone that could disappear into shadow and would never be found unless they allowed it. Someone that was experienced and completely unexpected. Someone who would never be acknowledged for their loyalty and commitment to the Hidden Village of Leaf and wouldn't want to be anyway. Someone that might be considered a good candidate to turn rogue if one didn't know him more intimately.

He needed Sasuke.

**…**

Iruka's eye finally decided to cooperate and open, it was only the one eye as the other still refused to work the muscles that hard. The injured man had been drifting in and out of sleep for hours but this was the first time he had been remotely aware enough to attempt to open his eyes. The feat had required much more effort then it ever should. The lid cracked open slowly and he was relieved when the harsh lights that had assaulted his vision last time weren't present.

The last time Iruka had fully awakened was in the hospital and he wasn't sure if that was an hour or a life time ago. The lack of antiseptic and fluorescent lighting told the Chuunin he was most definitely not in the hospital anymore, though he couldn't remember being discharged and sent home. He wasn't home though, his apartment did not smell like dog. Where was he? A sharp pain speared through his head and Iruka winced, closing his eye again. He had never felt so terrible in his entire life. Everything was sore and if opening an eye was enough to make him want to sleep again then something was seriously wrong.

Slowly, he opened his eye again and his other eye relented and peeked open. Everything was blurry and Iruka blinked a few times to try and clear his vision. Gradually, things began to come into focus and he was met with a pair of droopy brown eyes and a wet black nose. Maybe he was still asleep and dreaming after all.

"Welcome back, Iruka-sensei," came a gruff voice from the toothy mouth.

Iruka blinked a few more times, realisation of what he was seeing slow in coming. Eventually, he realised who it was he was looking at.

"Pakkun?" was what Iruka tried to say, however, what came out was a broken wheeze.

The pug had read his lips though and knew he was recognised, giving a doggy smile in response.

"You're alright. Your throat's just been freshly healed so go easy on it. How're you feeling? Mouth the words, I'll understand."

Iruka did a self assessment, closing his eyes for a moment to rest them as they ached. His head was pounding painfully and his throat was dry and burning, he really needed some water. All his muscles were sore and felt unbelievably weak. He was also extremely cold, which wasn't a good sign considering he was covered to the chin with blankets. The most pressing issue, however, was the pressure on his bladder. Iruka couldn't stop the slight blush and Pakkun seemed to understand instantly. Apparently the ninken was also adept at reading skin flushes.

"Think you can walk?"

Iruka managed a small smile and swallowed with difficulty. 'Let's find out,' he mouthed.

Bracing himself, the injured teacher managed to raise his head and tried sit up. Failing, he collapsed back onto the pillow with a pained hiss.

"Ok," said the pug, moving closer to his head. "Let's try that again. I'll help you."

Iruka lifted his head again and the little dog wriggled underneath to keep it propped up. With lots of effort and much help, Iruka was eventually moved into a sitting position. The Chuunin was amazed to find himself surrounded by dogs of all sizes and colouring.

_Well, that explains the smell. One mystery solved._

The one with bandages wrapped around its head and neck moving behind Iruka's back to act as support and hold him upright as the others scampered off the bed, giving him more room to move. The blankets had fallen away from his chest leaving it bare and Iruka peeked underneath the covers to assure himself he wasn't naked. He was relieved to find he had on a pair of navy blue drawstring pants.

Once Pakkun was satisfied he wouldn't fall back, the little dog gave a nod of approval and congratulated him on getting that far. "You're doing really well, sensei."

Iruka gave him a sceptical look and resisted the urge to laugh. His head felt like it was about to explode and his vision had doubled but he wasn't quite passing out again yet. He felt incredibly cold but his skin was heated and over sensitised, the brush of the blankets enough to make him cringe and not want to move. He definitely had a high fever.

"Ok, I'm going to teleport you to the bathroom. I can do it so long as you're in a similar position to what you'll need when we arrive at our destination so it's great you could sit up this far." Pakkun gave him what Iruka could only assume to be a reassuring smile. "Bull will be at the other end to catch you if you feel off balance."

'Who's Bull?' Iruka mouthed the question.

A deep voice spoke up from beside the bed. "I am."

Iruka turned to find himself face to face with, well, one of the biggest faces he'd ever seen! Bull was a huge black dog with large jowls and a spiked black collar the width of Iruka's wrist.

"You'll be just fine, sensei. We'll look after you."

Iruka could only nod and trust his life (and bladder) to the ninken. Bull scampered out of the room, the other dogs waiting patiently off to the sides.

"Right, Iruka-sensei, hold tight."

Pakun crawled across his lap, making his skin scream in protest at the sensation, and Iruka wrapped his hands around the pug's sides.

**…**

He had gone to Gai first and explained the situation, the normally exuberant man sitting in uncharacteristic silence until all the information was laid bare. Kakashi knew he'd made the right decision in his friend when the only comment the taijutsuist made was, "Well, I guess I'll have to lay off the sparkles for awhile. When do we start?"

The Copy-nin had gone to Sasuke's next and found the young man laying out an extra futon in his living room.

"Who's that for?" Kakashi asked – though he already knew the answer – after he'd appeared silently at the kitchen table,

Sasuke didn't even flinch or pause in what he was doing; if Kakashi had surprised him, the young man hid it well.

"Naruto's house was destroyed," the dark haired shinobi answered.

"So was Iruka's."

Sasuke nodded and turned to face his old instructor. Walking across the room he joined the silver haired man at the table, waiting quietly for the older Jounin to speak.

"I have a mission. I've chosen you to be on my team."

Kakashi outlined what needed to be done, what was suspected, and who the other team member was. As expected, Sasuke sat quietly though the instruction, occasionally muttering 'Hn' under his breath. When all the details had been laid out the Sasuke raised onyx eyes to meet a single grey.

"Why me?"

"Because no one will suspect you and you have the skills I need. I also believe you have the motivation to want to protect this village and those who love it." The silver crowned head nodded toward the spare futon.

"Hn."

Kakashi rose and headed for the door. Pausing with a hand on the knob he spoke over his shoulder.

"You have a spare room. Why the lounge?" Again he already knew the answer.

Sasuke's room was on the other side of the wall to where he'd lay the futon. In fact, if Kakashi wasn't mistaken Sasuke's bed was pushed against that very same wall. The young man had gradually started to open up to a select few since the defeat of Orochimaru and his return to the village. He had begun to be more open and honest with his two closest companions and often team-mates, Naruto and Kakashi. The former instructor was curious to see just how much Sasuke had opened up but Sasuke held his silence for a long time. Just as Kakashi decided he likely wouldn't get an answer and was turning the door handle, a quiet reply floated across the tiled floor.

"Because it'll get a rise out of him… and it's closer."

Kakashi nodded, pleased, and decided to give a piece of himself back.

"I took Iruka home."

"We have to protect them. We have to get these bastards."

"We will."

With that the older shinobi walked out and felt the warm certainty that he'd made the right decision.

**…**

Appearing in his lounge room, Kakashi expected to walk into the bedroom and find the person he wanted to protect more than anything else in the world tucked up safely in bed. He didn't make it to the door before a pack of anxious dogs came barrelling into the room and all begun leaping around him and talking at once.

"He's really hot!"

"No, he's really cold!"

"He fell over and we can't move him!"

"I said don't move him, I said not to but no one ever listens!"

All this was said at the same time in between yaps and snapping teeth. Kakashi got the general gist of what they were communicating: Iruka was out of bed and in trouble.

"Where?" he snapped over the kafuffle.

"Bathroom!" they all yelped simultaneously.

"Right, go back to the compound."

With a wave of his hand, the dogs surrounding him disappeared. Heading straight to the bathroom, he found Bull, Pakkun, and Akino huddled around a very pale Iruka curled up on his side, trembling on the cold tiles. A blanket had been dragged over him and he was shivering constantly though his face looked flushed and hot. Akino didn't wait for the questions before answering.

"He woke up and needed to use the toilet so we teleported him in here. He seemed alright, sick and in pain but alright, he even managed to wash his face and brush his teeth while sitting on Bull, but then suddenly blacked out and collapsed. We were worried that the effects from teleportation would damage him so we chose to leave him here and care as best we could. He has a very high fever and borrowed your toothbrush."

All this was stated in Akino's efficiently calm manner while Pakkun and Bull stood nearby trying not to look nervous. Kakashi was satisfied with the explanation and laid a hand on Kato's sandy head.

"I'll take it from here. Go meet up with the others."

Three heads nodded and two disappeared in puffs of smoke. Pakkun looked up at his master with a serious gaze.

"If you need us, call," he stated gruffly.

Kakashi cocked his visible eyebrow.

The little pug looked uncomfortable as he flicked his eyes to the unconscious man.

"I've always been very fond of Iruka-sensei. He… he smells nice."

The Jounin contained his chuckle as he knelt next to the ill Chuunin. "I agree."

With a _pop_ they were alone. Kakashi stripped away the blanket and took in the flushed, lightly sweating skin. Laying a hand on the injured mans back earned him a feeble protesting cry as Iruka flinched away and curled up tighter. It was obvious the fever was dangerously high and needed to be bought down immediately. The Chuunin was also in need of fluids as it had been a couple of hours since the tea and soup. Leaning down close, being careful not to touch the over sensitised skin, Kakashi whispered soothingly into the tanned ear.

"It's alright now, I'm here. I'll take care of you. You have a fever, Iruka, and I need to bring it down. You have to trust me, ok? I'm here for you."

He carefully draped the blanket back over the shivering form. He set the bathtub to fill with lukewarm water before running through to the kitchen and collecting a bottle of cooled tea he'd prepared that morning. From the bathroom's first-aid kit, he retrieved medication to help lower the fever. The Jounin crushed the pills into fine powder between his fingers, letting it dissolve into the tea. He didn't trust Iruka's throat to be able to handle solids yet.

As the tub filled, Kakashi sat the weakened man up, supporting his weight and keeping him wrapped in the blanket as he fed him careful sips of tea. Once more he gently rubbed the younger man's throat and coaxed him to drink with encouraging murmurs. Once the bath was filled, Kakashi shut off the faucets and once more spoke softly.

"I'm sorry, Iruka, you're not going to like this much but you have to trust me."

Stripping off his own clothes and the soft pants from the shivering man, Kakashi lifted the Chuunin into his arms and then stepped into the tub. As he lowered them into the water Iruka cried out in shock. Despite the temperature being slightly warm, it still felt like ice to the ill teacher's over sensitised skin. Kakashi continued to lower them both while quietly apologising as the feverish man cried out incoherently and feebly twisted in his arms, trying to escape the torturous sensation.

"Stop," Iruka protested, his voice weak and cracking. "Please stop."

"I can't, we need to get your fever down. I'm so sorry. Please bear it. Be brave, Iruka, please trust me."

Once they were settled with Iruka between his legs and leaning back on his chest, Kakashi could only wrap his arms around his Chuunin and whisper soothingly to the distraught man. Painful sobs wracked the injured man's body as pale fingers wiped the tears from flushed cheeks.

"You're being so brave. You're doing so well, love."

Kakashi didn't even register that he was laying soft kisses on the chocolate hair between whispers. This was not how he had fantasised their first bath together would go, but Iruka was alive in his arms and that was all he'd ask for.

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**AN: I was in quite a strange mood when I wrote the first half of this chapter so it may be a little off my usual style. Hope you all enjoyed it anyway. Never believe that your reviews are not appreciated. If not for you how would I have ever chosen who would be on Kakashi's team for this upcoming mission? You all ROCK!**

**There was overwhelming support for Gai and Shikamaru but I had to go with Sasuke. Seriously, who could resist pairing the two of them up with Kakashi, and how hilarious that Mr Moody Sasuke has to work with the perpetually joyful beautiful green beast (oh I like that phrase… might have to use it in an upcoming chapter!). So, are we all happy with the choice?**


	8. The Tortoise, the Feline, and the Hound

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I'm not a fan of floating orange blobs either.**

**Edited 2010 *insert something witty here***

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 8: The Tortoise, the Feline, and the Hound**

_"Stop," Iruka protested, his voice weak and cracking. "Please stop."_

_"I can't, we need to get your fever down. I'm so sorry. Please bear it. Be brave, Iruka, please trust me."_

_Once they were settled with Iruka between his legs and leaning back on his chest, Kakashi could only wrap his arms around his Chuunin and whisper soothingly to the distraught man. Painful sobs wracked the injured man's body as pale fingers wiped the tears from flushed cheeks._

_"You're being so brave. You're doing so well, love."_

_Kakashi didn't even register that he was laying soft kisses on the chocolate hair between whispers. This was not how he had fantasised their first bath together would go, but Iruka was alive in his arms and that was all he'd ask for._

**…**

The fever was not gone but had reduced to a level that was no longer dangerous. Iruka had passed out completely after a few torturous minutes in the water though tremors still racked his body. Kakashi couldn't help but find irony in the situation. It was one of his favourite fantasies to have the gorgeous Chuunin naked, wet, and at his devious mercy, however, none of his fantasies had included near death experiences and life threatening injuries. This was the second time he'd had Iruka naked and vulnerable in his arms, yet he'd not even looked at the Chuunin with anything more than the assessing eye of a doctor. Even in the bath together, Kakashi couldn't bring himself to ogle the man as his eyes kept getting stoped on cuts and vivid bruises.

The bruising was really coming to the surface in a mottled patchwork of black, purple, and red. It looked terrible, covering almost every spare section of skin from the Chuunin's right temple down to his shins. It was especially bad around the left shoulder and rib cage. The Jounin couldn't help but wish he'd been the one to kill that bastard who had inflicted such injuries on the sensei, but Iruka had extracted his own revenge and taken the monster out. Again, the mental image of his dark haired teacher falling helplessly through the air swam in Kakashi's mind.

He shook such thoughts from his head and snuggled closer to the man lying limp in his arms. The Mist bastard was dead and his Leaf Chuunin was alive, that was all that mattered. Kakashi pressed his nose to Iruka's flushed neck and inhale deeply. The faint scent of sandalwood and something indescribably Umino Iruka was comforting, tantalising, and calmed the Jounin's nerves. He would need to get some of the sandalwood soap that Iruka favoured; nothing else would ever smell quite right on his Chuunin.

Kakashi waited until the fever had fallen enough that the cinnamon skin wouldn't be so painfully sensitive to touch before reaching for his soap. He'd only wiped Iruka down the night before to see his injuries clearly enough to heal them; it was time for a proper wash. Kakashi knew the teacher would feel much better once he was nice and clean.

_I will do this with the utmost respect and not think devious thoughts, _the silver haired man decided firmly before lathering the spearmint scented soap in his hands and placing one palm onto the still overheated chest.

Oh Kami, he'd not even moved his hand but Iruka's flushed skin already felt so good under his fingertips.

_NO! I will not think dirty thoughts; I will not think dirty thoughts!_

The Jounin slid his hand down the left side of the smaller mans chest and just about died when Iruka let out a throaty moan and shuddered as his calloused palm brushed the small, dusky nipple.

_Oh, for the mother of all things perverted!_

Iruka's skin had gone from being overly and painfully sensitive to just plain old sensitive! If ever there was a torment designed specifically for Hatake Kakashi it was this defenceless, sexy as hell, and responsive Chuunin that he couldn't molest! Someone up there hated him and was being cruel for the fun of it. Extremely cruel! How could he have never known that gorgeous cinnamon colouring covered his entire body without even a tan line?

_Get a grip, Hatake. The man's injured and you want to run your tounge- Gyah! Don't think of that. Think of something awful, quick!_

If there was ever an image designed to kill a hard-on, it was the one of Jiraiya making out with village elder Koharu Utatane while she was dressed in a white bunny outfit complete with cotton tail and stockings. The village had heard of a Western party theme called 'Pimps and Hookers' and decided to give it a go one year. Copious amounts of alcohol and scantily clad women had been the makings of a wonderful evening until he had wandered across that little scene. Kakashi hadn't even had the Sharingan uncovered but the image had been burnt into his brain, his only saving grace was dear and wonderfully smutty Icha Icha. Oh crap! He shouldn't have thought about his book.

He gently – but quickly – washed the defined and slender body, heroically ignoring each moan, gasp, and whimper that escaped those soft lips. He wished he could ignore the tantalising sight of a very visible hardening member as well as he did the noises.

_At least he's finally enjoying the bath, _Kakashi thought with mild hysteria.

As it was, certain areas of Kakashi's anatomy was greedily feeding off every sound uttered from the younger man and enthusiastically acknowledged each movement the teachers body made.

_Shit. If he shudders against me one more time I'm going to-_

A tremble vibrated through Iruka's slender frame as a pale hand travelled over a hip and the Jounin had to quickly utilise all his years of Taijutsu training that demanded complete and perfect control over every muscle in the body. Definitely time to exit the bath tub.

An hour later both men's bodies were back under control, clean, dry, clothed, fed, and tucked up warmly in bed fast asleep. Iruka was on his back to avoid aggravating any injuries with Kakashi's arms wrapped around him, hand over his Chuunin's heart. The subtle chakra flow once more passed between them.

**…**

"I've decided to open the Uchiha compound to those left homeless by the attack."

The Hokage looked up and couldn't help but blink in surprise at the stoic young man standing in front of her. Well, what could she say to that? 'Who are you and where's Sasuke run off to this time?'… likely not a good idea.

"Uhh, that's very kind of you Sasuke but I'm not sure-"

The youngest Uchiha interrupted her with a trademark glare. Damn it! You'd think she'd be immune to them by now. She was the Hokage for goodness sake!

"I understand I'm not widely liked in the Konoha community but people need a place to live and all those houses are just standing there empty and neglected. They're welcome to remove the Uchiha clan symbols from the premises and make the area their own."

The Hokage could only blink again. That was the most words she'd ever heard the young shinobi utter in one go. If not for his distinctive chakra signature, she'd swear he was an impostor. He didn't even say that much in the one hit when yelling at Naruto. Sasuke shifted under her assessing gaze and turned his eyes to the bright blue sky beyond the Hokage Office window.

"Why?" she demanded bluntly. "You've never shown an inclination to open the compound to new residents before. Why the sudden shift?"

Sasuke's face and body didn't change an iota but there was suddenly a slightly uneasy look in his eyes. Tsunade was about to press the question when her office door was flung open and Konoha's Beautiful Green Beast strode across the room without so much as a knock or greeting. The Godamine's eyes narrowed suspiciously, she'd never seen Gai so quiet, disrespectful, or… normal looking (if one chose to ignore the spandex suit). The tall man came to a stop next to the young Jounin and fixed Tsunade with a serious look.

"He's willing to house the homeless and bring life back to dead streets. I think this is a noble action towards helping the village recover from such a devastating blow. And, I'm sure many villagers left without shelter will be grateful for the offer and respect the memories those streets carry," Gai declared, clapping a hand on the younger man's shoulder.

Tsunade only looked slightly less shocked than Sasuke, who stared at the man with open disbelief. The blond haired woman didn't know what to make of the changes in their personalities.

_Sasuke's talking and offering help. Gai's being serious and didn't use the word 'youthful' once. Next thing I know Kakashi will be-_

"On time," she verbally finished as a light knock across hailed the arrival of the Copy-cat Ninja.

Kakashi quietly closed the door behind him and joined his team-mates, the two older Jounin nodded to each other in greeting and Sasuke gave a soft 'Hn' of acknowledgement.

"Your orders, Tsunade-sama?" asked the silver haired man, getting straight to business.

Mentally she shook herself from her astonishment and sent a quick prayer of thanks to Kami that these men all seemed to be taking the situation seriously. Standing, she circled the desk and fixed her soon to be spies with a serious gaze.

"As I'm sure Kakashi has already informed you, we have reason to believe some Konoha shinobi are responsible for the attack on our village. Your mission is to find out who, how many, and what their link to the Country of Water is. Most importantly, you must discover any future plot threatening the safety of Konohagakure. I fear this is only the beginning of a well thought out plan. I need information, gentlemen, and you will get it for me without drawing attention to yourselves." The three men nodded their understanding. "You will only report to me or Ibiki and none of you will be given missions outside the village for the duration of this assignment."

Gai interrupted at this. "The village must continue to take high level missions to survive. Kakashi's team and mine are two of your largest revenue raisers, how will you justify to the Council taking us off external missions?"

"Simple," Tsunade smiled, "both your teams are officially on village guard duty. Under the current circumstances it's important to keep some high level teams at home in case of further attack. This also means you won't be expected to be seen on patrol as it's common knowledge that part of your role requires you to be rested at all times in case it's necessary to fight all out for the village's protection."

"Nice plan," muttered Kakashi. "I could do with a little down time at home."

Now why did that make him think of Iruka on his knees? _Focus_.

The honey haired woman turned to retrieve a cloth wrapped package from her desk draw and threw the bundle to Sasuke.

"Congratulations brat," she smirked, "you've just been promoted to ANBU."

The young man looked momentarily surprised before hiding it well though his fingers clutched the bundle tightly. They could all see he wanted to rip off it open and see what his mask was. Refraining from such a childish gesture, he instead dipped in a slight bow.

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," he said respectfully.

The young Jounin couldn't wait to get home! If only he could tell Naruto. The blonde would be green with envy and demand to know every tiny sordid detail giving his full blue eyed attention to Sasuke. It would annoy Naruto no end that Sasuke had been promoted before him.

"I hope I don't need to explain to you that this promotion is of the utmost secrecy and you are not to tell a soul?"

"Understood," he answered.

"Good," Tsunade's eyes turned to Gai. "You've already been reinstated. Welcome back, Tortoise."

Sasuke turned questioning eyes on his newly acquired team-mate as the bowl cut man beamed with pride upon being called by his code name.

"Tortoise?"

"Of course, they're my summons," Gai stated with conviction before his face broke into a soppy smile. "Wonderful creatures, full of youth and vitality!"

_There_ was the Maito Gai they all knew and loved.

"I'll take your word for it," uttered Sasuke quietly.

The young Jounin thought of his own summons, snakes. He didn't want a snake mask, it reminded him too much of Orochimaru and the time he had lost himself in Sound. Kakashi glanced over and gave him a one eyed smile.

"I'm sure it's not," the silver haired Jounin commented lightly.

It still unnerved Sasuke how his team-leader had always had the talent of knowing exactly what he was thinking. Even when he had been in Otogakure it was entirely likely that someone could have wandered up to Kakashi on the street countries away and asked, "So, what do you think Sasuke's thinking of?"

"Maa, he's just contemplating how much control it'll take of his Chidori to blow Kabuto's head off without singeing the rest of the body. He's wondering if it'll make a nice popping sound as it flies off."

The Hokage released a frustrated sigh and drew Sasuke's attention back to the matter at hand.

"You've been given the code name Feline." She smiled evilly before continuing. "I chose it for you myself because you're moody, insolent, and rarely come when you're called."

The two older men chuckled but Sasuke didn't care, he was relieved and very pleased with the choice. Cats were stealthy, sleek, hunters of the night. His ego approved heartily.

Tsunade sat back behind her desk.

"You will report to me _every_ discovery, no matter how minor. The only name I can give you to begin your investigation with is Abajai Makuto. It's a name given to us by the Mist shinobi Ibiki broke. He is a higher Chuunin and lives in the Eastern district. You will have full access to personnel files for the duration of this mission so don't be shy. Start with Abajai and his closest associates. Good luck and don't be seen. Dismissed!"

**…**

Orange was such a tacky colour to have to wake up to, especially when it didn't have any particular shape and just floated like a fuzzy, anti-gravity blob. Maybe if he blinked it would go away. Iruka closed his eyes and let them rest for a few seconds before tiredly forcing them open again. Nope, the blob was still there. He decided to try this tactic a few more times but, perhaps unsurprisingly, it didn't work. Maybe if he poked it the orange blob of gaudiness would go away. Forcing his muscles to move he lifted his hand and slowly, but steadily, directed a finger towards the obnoxious floating object.

Something warm and pale appeared out of the blurry surroundings and gently wrapped around his hand, guided it back down onto the bed. Iruka was fascinated by this new development and cured his fingers around the warm, pale thing. Pulling it closer, he squinted his eyes to focus and discovered it to be a hand. At least it looked like a hand. It did feel like a hand, it was soft with bony bits and about body temperature, but it smelt kind of minty. As far as Iruka could remember, hands didn't smell minty. Perhaps it tasted minty too. Pulling the mysterious appendage to his mouth the (pretty much out of his mind with fever) Chuunin nibbled on the pale skin and flicked his tongue along its surface.

It tasted a little salty but was mostly a non-flavour, kind of like what a hand should taste like. Iruka realised he wasn't actually 100 per cent sure if he knew what a hand tasted like so licked his own for comparison. Yep, slightly salty and non-flavourish. A deep chuckle sounded somewhere in the blurry distance and a pale thumb caressed his palm, causing Iruka's skin to tingle a little. Where had that chuckle come from? Looking around, he saw an orange blob that seemed to float in the air. What an obnoxious colour. Maybe if he blinked it would go away.

* * *

**AN: poor Iruka is high with fever. For those of you out there that don't think this is possible, trust me it is. I've been that sick and some of the things I remember from it are whacked out! So I hope you liked this chapter. My apologies for taking so long but I have been pulling some crazy hours at work. It's been hell but Winter is our busy season. I have some excellent smut planned for future chapters so stay tuned. I'll have another chapter out soon. Next one will have a small time skip because otherwise it'll just take too long for Iruka to recover from his injuries and this story will never end! So much planned, so many wonderful readers. Clicky the button, let me hear from you!**


	9. Past Memories and Future Promises

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I will also not be held responsible for any injury sustained while reading this fiction and drinking a hot beverage.**

**Edited 2010 and a partridge in a pear tree.**

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 9: Past Memories and Future Promises**

_Something warm and pale appeared out of the blurry surroundings and gently wrapped around his hand, guided it back down onto the bed. Iruka was fascinated by this new development and curled his fingers around the warm, pale thing. Pulling it closer, he squinted his eyes to focus and discovered it to be a hand. At least it looked like a hand. It did feel like a hand, it was soft with bony bits and about body temperature, but it smelt kind of minty. As far as Iruka could remember, hands didn't smell minty. Perhaps it tasted minty too. Pulling the mysterious appendage to his mouth the (pretty much out of his mind with fever) Chuunin nibbled on the pale skin and flicked his tongue along its surface._

_It tasted a little salty but was mostly a non-flavour, kind of like what a hand should taste like. Iruka realised he wasn't actually 100 per cent sure if he knew what a hand tasted like so licked his own for comparison. Yep, slightly salty and non-flavourish. A deep chuckle sounded somewhere in the blurry distance and a pale thumb caressed his palm, causing Iruka's skin to tingle a little. Where had that chuckle come from? Looking around, he saw an orange blob that seemed to float in the air. What an obnoxious colour. Maybe if he blinked it would go away._

**…**

**Four years earlier…**

"What is this?"

Kakashi glanced down at the crumpled, mud streaked piece of paper before looking back at the brown haired Chuunin sitting behind a well worn desk. The _annoyed_ brown haired Chuunin.

"It's a mission report, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka's frown deepened as he picked up the paper under discussion and gave it another scrutinising glance.

"This is not a mission report, Kakashi-sensei. This is a shameful waste of paper. A mission report is legible, clean, un-crumpled, and does not have drawings of two stick people copulating in the corner."

The single eye curved into a smile as Iruka continued to scowl up at him. The Chuunin was just too much fun to tease.

"I'm hurt, Iruka-sensei," Kakashi said in a light tone. "That's supposed to be a picture of a dog. And you call yourself a school teacher?"

Kakashi barely managed to bite back a chuckle as the younger man's eyebrow twitched. Far too much fun.

Iruka closed his eyes for a moment and released a soft sigh before glaring up at him again. Reaching into a desk draw, the Chuunin produced a clean sheet of paper and pen before pointing to a spare desk across the room.

"Go make a clean copy and try to refrain from drawing any more dog pictures please." The younger man held out the items Kakashi would need, along with the pathetic excuse for a report.

As the Jounin took the items he noticed that Iruka's hand was trembling. Iruka wasn't that angry and it wasn't cold in the room, what was going on? Looking over at the Chuunin speculatively, Kakashi took in the pale cast to his normally bronzed skin and the dark patches under tired brown eyes. The teacher looked more than just tired. Turning and walking across the room to the indicated desk, Kakashi made sure no one would see his face before pulling the mask down just below his nose and quickly sniffing the air. He could smell blood.

Iruka watched the troublesome Jounin walk away before letting his head fall into his hands. What an end to a horrible couple of days. He had just gotten back from what should have been a straight forward scroll retrieval mission but had turned into a flight for his and his partners lives. The C-rank mission had rapidly changed to a B when on their way home they'd been attacked by five rogue ninja trying to steal the scroll. They had made it back but not without sustaining injury and Iruka's partner ending up in the hospital. Poor Yuji had suffered a broken clavicle coupled with assorted minor injuries and Iruka had a large cut down his back starting at his left shoulder and ending near his right hip. While it wasn't very deep, it did hurt. _A lot_. The hospital had been overly busy so Iruka left them with Yuji and decided to hand in his mission report before heading home to care for the injury himself. Unfortunately, when he'd arrived the mission room had been in utter chaos.

As soon as Iruka walked through the office door, a tearful kunoichi had run to him waving a sheet of paper, babbling about impossible Jounin refusing to cooperate, and handing in mission reports worthy of a toddler's attempts. Iruka had taken one look at the crayon covered piece of paper and all that pent up aggression from his hell-filled mission had erupted. A few minutes of bellowing later, and a solid smack to the back of Genma's head, had seen the mission room once again restored to order and the Jounin standing quietly in straight lines waiting patiently to hand in their work. There was only half an hour until the office closed and the Chuunin behind the desk still looked traumatised so Iruka decided to stay and help. This was the first opportunity he'd had since then to take a breather and let his exhaustion catch up. His head felt like it was about to split open and all he wanted to do was sleep for a week. Thank Kami that the next day was Saturday and he didn't need to teach any classes.

A rustling of paper drew Iruka from his self-pitying daze and he once more lay eyes on the Copy Ninja, this time submitting a clean and well written report. Iruka read it through and signed off on the information.

"This all seems to be in order, Kakashi-sensei." he summoned a tired smile and nodded to the Jounin. "Thank you for your hard work."

Unexpectedly, the silver haired shinobi didn't leave. Instead he fixed Iruka with a serious eye.

"I'd like to speak with you in one of the spare meeting rooms, sensei."

Iruka was very surprised.

_What's with the stern tone of voice? Have I done something wrong?_

Kakashi had never asked to speak with him privately before. He'd almost made it to the end of the shift – there was only five minutes to go – and Iruka desperately wanted to refuse, but his superior was asking for a private word and he could not say no. Iruka stood and circled the desk.

"Of course, Kakashi-sensei. This way please." Turning to the other desk attendant, he summoned a smile. "Would you close up please, Yikoto-san?"

The young woman bowed her head, "Of course, Umino-san. Thank you so much for your help this afternoon. I don't know what I would have done without your intervention." The gaze she directed to him was full of hero worship making Iruka feel decidedly uncomfortable and Kakashi raise an eyebrow at the woman's simpering expression.

"You're very welcome." He smiled kindly before turning to walk across the room with the Jounin.

Leading Kakashi to an empty meeting room, Iruka's imagination ran wild.

_Is it because I yelled at all those Jounin? Has Kakashi been sent to deal with me because I was out of line? I've yelled at them all before but perhaps hitting Genma was taking things too far. He deserved it though! Imagine trying to grab poor Yikoto's arse when the woman had been put through so much trouble by them already. Really, I should have hit him harder. _

Confident he had not been too much in the wrong, Iruka flicked on the meeting room's lights and waited patiently as the Jounin entered, closing the door behind him.

_I've done nothing wrong. I may have gone slightly overboard in restoring order, but I've done nothing…_

Kakashi wasn't slouching anymore and effectively silenced Iruka's thoughts with his serious grey eye.

"Take off your shirt," came the deeply voiced order.

Iruka didn't react for a moment. He couldn't have heard that right.

"I beg your pardon?" the teacher replied pleasantly. How embarrassing to mistake Hatake Kakashi's words like that. If he wasn't so nervous and tired it would be laughable.

"I was quite clear, sensei. Take off your shirt."

What the _hell_! He hadn't mistaken his words at all! Damn Jounin messing with him when he was so tired. If he wasn't positive the blow would never connect, he would have attempted to smack the silver haired man like he did Genma.

"What is the meaning of this, Kakashi-sensei?" he asked, annoyed. "Why do you wa-"

Kakashi interrupted him with another hard look and took a step forward, causing the Chuunin to retreat a little on pure instinct.

"You smell like blood," the Jounin answered impatiently, "which means you're injured and obviously didn't have the frame of mind to treat the wound. Seeing as you're not limping, the injury must be to your torso or I'd be ordering you to remove your pants. Now, stop being so difficult and take off your shirt. That's an order."

Iruka was totally taken aback and almost went slack mouthed before remembering himself and keeping his jaw firmly in place. He flushed slightly in embarrassment and he looked away uncomfortably.

"I… I can't," he said quietly, dipping his head. "I can't lift my arms above my head. Everything's stiffened up."

Unzipping his vest, the Chuunin allowed it to slide to the floor before turning around and showing Kakashi his sliced through, blood soaked shirt. He had used his vest as a distraction during the attack, earning them a few precious seconds to set up a counter manoeuvre and finish the last of the enemy ninja. The vest had since effectively hidden his wound. He knew he should have gone straight home to treat it but… he was an idiot. How shameful to now be in this situation.

Gentle fingers pulled aside fabric stuck to his skin with blood and Iruka heard a soft, thoughtful hum come from behind him.

"How were you planning on treating this?"

Iruka ignored the probing fingers on his skin and focused on the question. "I was going to let it clean and warm up first under the shower, hopefully loosening everything up enough to treat it. Failing that, back to the hospital." Iruka really did feel foolish.

"I doubt that would have worked."

Iruka continued to feel foolish. He heard fabric ripping and surmised that Kakashi was cutting away the rest of the material. That was fine by him, the shirt was ruined anyway. It would be much better for both parties if he just allowed the Jounin to do as he pleased and passively cooperated. After his shirt had been removed, the silver haired shinobi moved to the table, flashed through hand symbols, and pressed his palm to the surface. In a puff of smoke appeared a small squat dog with droopy features and bored eyes.

"Yeah boss?" Pakkun asked before his eyes shifted around the room and widened almost comically as they landed on the half naked teacher. Angry, watery orbs shot back to his summoner. "What the hell are you doing to Iruka-sensei?"

Kakashi sighed and put his hands on his hips. "You shouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions. I'm patching him up. He's injured."

Pakkun looked over at Iruka again and sniffed the air, taking in the scent of blood. The dogs eyes turned worried and he jumped down to circle the Chuunin. Iruka felt incredibly self-conscious. How uncanny to be inspected by a dog.

"Ah, hello Pakkun-san. How have you been?" he asked awkwardly as he looked down at the small dog staring at his back.

"A damn sight better then you by the looks of things, sensei. Who did this?" the small mouth demanded angrily.

"Not Kakashi-sensei if that's what you're wondering," he laughed sheepishly. "My partner and I were attacked on our way back from a mission this morning. I got off lucky, Yuji-san ended up in the hospital and…" he paused embarrassedly. "Well, I've obviously been a bit stupid and left things too long."

The pug grunted in agreement before turning back to his master. "The usual?"

"Yep," replied the Jounin and the small dog disappeared in another puff of smoke.

Iruka turned back to Kakashi with confused eyes and was about to ask what 'the usual' was when the older man took hold of his upper arm and steered him to the table.

"Sit up here with your back to me."

Iruka complied, climbing onto the table and sitting cross-legged with his back to the Jounin. He felt so incredibly stupid. To think someone of Kakashi's level and experience now had to patch him up because he had stayed to help out at the mission desk instead of doing the sensible thing and going home to care for himself. How utterly ridiculous.

"I'm sorry you've had to bother with this," he said quietly to the table in front of him. "I didn't mean to give you trouble."

Kakashi looked at the defeated posture of the man in front of him. With hands in lap and head bowed, the Chuunin looked utterly ashamed. His eyes, however, kept getting drawn back to that wound marring what was otherwise an extremely attractive back. Lovely cinnamon skin and reasonably minor scarring, except for a large haggard patch between the shoulder blades. It was the scar from taking a windmill shuriken for Naruto. A suspicion started to crawl through Kakashi's mind.

"How did you get this injury?" he asked, keeping his voice casual.

"A nodachi caused the cut. I was lucky and only caught the end of it."

Kakashi frowned but kept his voice level. "That's not what I'm asking. How did it happen?"

Iruka looked over his shoulder confused. "On a downward strike," he answered uncertainly, almost making it sound like a question.

Kakashi realised he'd have to be more direct. "You threw yourself in the way of a strike meant for Yuji, didn't you?"

Iruka's eyes widened comically. "How do you know that?"

Suspicions confirmed, Kakashi was saved from answering by the reappearance of Pakkun, laden down with a large pack on his back and water container in his mouth. Kakashi helped dog unload and dug through the pack to pull out what he'd need. As he proceeded to clean the wound, Pakkun distracted Iruka with talk of his current students. The Jounin was glad to be left to work in peace. He washed the gash and listened in on Iruka's descriptions of his class's latest antics. The Chuunin certainly led a hectic life with those little hellions to train. Kakashi ignored the hiss of pain coming from his patient as he dabbed antiseptic along the slice. He focused healing chakra into his hand and began to close the wound.

"You can use healing chakra?" Iruka asked in surprise.

"Of course," was the nonchalant reply, as if it was the most common skill in the world instead of something that required years of dedicated study and specialised training.

He vaguely heard Pakkun say something about spending lots of time in hospitals and the things Kakashi picked up with his sharingan. The cut wasn't deep, just messy and it would save the Chuunin a lot of bother if he just healed it up now. His hypothesis on the academy sensei seemed to be supported by a fair amount of evidence. Iruka was a self sacrificer in the extreme sense. He would forsake himself to assist others even if it meant becoming injured or ill because of it. It showed in how the man had protected Naruto, protected his team mate, given up his own needs to save the distressed kunoichi at the mission desk that afternoon, and willingly took on extra duties when others asked for his help. In fact, Kakashi would bet that if he asked the Chuunin would agree to assist him in anything he could be bothered to think up after the healing was complete.

Closing the gash, Kakashi ran a finger down the pale, thin scar. Iruka's voice dropped off from what he had been telling Pakkun to draw a quick breath as he shivered at the Jounin's touch.

_Hmm, sensitive._

Pakkun sent him an angry glare and Kakashi gave a one eyed smile back before proceeding to pack away the medical supplies.

"All done," he announced. "You can get down now."

"Ah, thank you for all your help, Kakashi-sensei. I really appreciate it; you've saved me a lot of trouble."

Iruka slid off the desk and experimentally twisted his torso from side to side before raising his arms over his head. Kakashi watched the slender body move in his peripheral vision and appreciated the subtle pay of lean muscles. Very nice. This Chuunin was actually quite an attractive specimen; he might have to take more notice of him in the future.

**End flashback**

**…**

An incessant knocking jerked Kakashi from his Icha Icha inspired world and back into the bedroom of his apartment. Whoever it was could piss off; he was in no mood for visitors. The knocking continued, the person trying to get his attention banging harder on the wood. The warmly tucked up and previously peacefully sleeping teacher next to him to groan and open dazed, bleary eyes. Kakashi watched as the brown eyes failed to focus and instead pressed closed tightly as a few particularly loud knocks echoed around the room. The tanned brow furrowed in pain and a small, distressed whimper fell from soft lips. The Jounin put down his favourite copy of Icha Icha Paradise and stalked to the front door. There was only one person in the village stupid enough to make that kind of a racket on _his_ door. The jinchūriki was about to learn never to bang on doors that loudly again, especially when his injured Chuunin was trying to sleep.

**…**

Naruto didn't know what hit him. He had worriedly been pounding on Kakashi's door, not sure if the Jounin could hear him. Obviously, Sakura was wrong in telling him to stop and be quiet because if Kakashi could hear the knocking he would have answered already. Besides, their former Genin team-leader was getting old; he'd had grey hair when they were only thirteen. Granted he could still get the upper hand on Naruto during sparring matches, but that didn't mean his hearing wasn't starting to go. Besides, he was worried about Iruka-sensei, Naruto had to get inside and check on him.

Staring up at the blue sky, Naruto wasn't entirely sure how he'd ended up flat on his back, his head hurting from where it had smacked the stone paving. Sitting up with a groan, the blond saw Kakashi glaring down at him with a narrowed eye.

"What'd you do that for?" Naruto demanded loudly.

The eye narrowed further. "Why do you think, Naruto?"

Rubbing the back of his head, the blond squinted up the Copy Ninja.

"We were only trying to get your attention. Jeeze, Kaka-sensei, that hurt."

A distinctive but quiet whisper of "He was trying to get your attention." was heard from Sakura, who could sense Kakashi's anger and was backing away slowly. A flick of Kakashi's wrist ended in a kunai slicing through the material of Naruto's pants and becoming embedded in the front porch between the young man's legs.

The older Jounin had gauged how much material was likely to be between the crotch of the blond's pants and his actual crotch. Judging by the yelp of surprise but lack of blood, Kakashi figured he must have calculated correctly. Two huge pairs of startled eyes stared at him in horror (the blue eyes far more horrified then the green) and twin gulps could be heard. Kakashi dropped to his haunches in front of Naruto and glared at the younger man, confident that he had the young Jounin's complete attention.

"Don't ever bang on someone's door like that again," he ordered slowly and firmly.

"Bu-but, I'm just worried about Iruka-sensei," stammered out the highly disturbed jinchūriki.

Kakashi pulled out another kunai and flipped it in the air before catching its point between forefinger and thumb.

"Naruto. Don't ever bang on someone's door like that again." The tone of voice hadn't changed an iota.

Naruto gulped. "Yes sir," he agreed with enthusiastic nodding.

Kakashi's face instantly changed, flashing a one eyed smile and patted the pale hair as he would a dog. "Good boy."

Standing and turning to Sakura, Kakashi jerked his head towards the door. "Come on in. You're here to check Iruka, yeah?"

The wide green eyes looked at him nervously for a moment before Sakura finally decided the danger had passed.

"That's right. Where is he?" she asked, stepping over the threshold and unclasping her boots.

"In the bedroom. He was asleep," a very pointed look was directed at Naruto, "but he's sort of awake now. I'll take you."

Kakashi started to close the door.

"Oi! What about me?" demanded Naruto, still pinned to the ground and trying to pull the kunai from the stone of the entryway.

"Naruto, you're welcome to come in too, of course. _After_ you've pulled out the kunai." Kakashi smirked. "Don't forget to knock."

The door closed and Naruto was left alone, staring at the wooden barrier.

"Damn crazy old pervert putting holes in my clothes," he muttered angrily, wrestling with the kunai. How the hell had it imbedded so far into the stone and why wouldn't it come loose?

**…**

Sakura was getting tired; she had been working on Iruka for almost a full half hour. Kakashi had looked shocked when Sakura told him that Iruka's file stated the Chuunin had blown four of his chakra pathways with over use during the battle. Tsunade had repaired them, of course, but the teacher would be slow to recover and it would take a long time for his chakra to return to the level it was before the battle. The Hokage really hadn't been kidding when she said it was a miracle Iruka was still alive. The other miracle was that Iruka's chakra pathways had somehow strengthened since he'd left the hospital.

_It's weird_, the young woman thought, brow furrowed in concentration. _It's as if he's had chakra flowing through the pathways to further reinforce them. Someone would have to feed him chakra for hours on end to achieve this effect. I don't know anyone other than Tsunade-sama with that kind of control and reserves. Shizune-san and I are the next top doctors at the hospital and I don't even have that much control yet. I'm pretty sure Shizune-san has the control but not the reserves. Must be a new healing technique Tsunade-sama's developed. I'll have to ask her when I get back. This is incredible; it'll significantly speed up Iruka-sensei's recovery._

Sakura cut off the flow of chakra and breathed a sigh of relief that her work was done. Iruka stirred slowly on the bed and Kakashi's heart sped up as he watched the dark eyes opened and finally manage to focus. The eyes still looked terribly tired but now held awareness in their depths.

"Welcome back, Iruka-sensei," Sakura said gently and smiled.

The stunning brown eyes moved in the direction of her voice and blinked a few times before coming focusing on the pink haired woman.

"Sakura?" Iruka spoke quietly but his voice was lacking the painful strain from before.

Kakashi released the pent up breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Iruka was aware again. He'd always known that the younger man would recover but to finally see him lucid was such a blessed relief. He watched as Sakura reached forward and took the Chuunin's hand and wasn't surprised to see tears forming in her eyes.

"I'm so relieved you're still alive, sensei," she sniffed as the first few drops fell, finally letting go of the hardened doctor and becoming a young woman who'd been scared for her former teacher. "How dare you go and get yourself all injured like that? What would we do without you?"

Iruka's eyes looked pained but not in a physical way, like he wanted to hug the young woman and sooth her tears as he would when she was a small and insecure child. Kakashi drank in the sight of emotions once more swimming in the dark depths, resisting the urge to expose his sharingan.

"I'm sorry, Sakura, I was trying to protect everyone," he whispered, squeezing her hand reassuringly as he watched her cry. "Guess I didn't do a very good job."

Kakashi moved forward and placed a supportive hand on Sakura's shoulder just as she made a sound of protest at Iruka's words. He knelt down so the injured man wouldn't have trouble focusing on him, but somehow couldn't quite give his famous one eyed smile.

"You did a wonderful job, Iruka-sensei, and you came out alive at the end of it. It's a real relief to know you're going to be alright."

The expressive eyes were confused as Iruka took in Kakashi sincere words, Sakura was nodding agreeably.

"You were wonderful, sensei," she sniffed through a smile before rappidly switching emotions and glaring at the teacher furiously. "Don't you ever do it again. You hear me? Ever." She ordered.

"I'll try not to," Iruka reassured her quietly but those brown eyes were still focused on his own single grey and Kakashi found the air had been stolen from his lungs again. He watched as those pools of melted chocolate struggled to stay open and focused.

"It's alright, Iruka-sensei, you sleep. We'll all still be here when you wake up." Kakashi said, valiantly resisting the urge to run his fingers through the silky hair, knowing nothing helped the younger man reach sleep faster. He would know, he'd been doing it for the past few days.

"Of course we will," Sakura agreed, smiling again.

Iruka's eyes briefly closed before forcibly opening again and once more locking onto the older Jounin's.

"Promise?" he whispered weakly.

"Absolutely." There was no doubt in Kakashi's voice.

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**AN: hahaha, tricked you all! Instead of a time skip forwards we had a flashback! I am so devious and wily. You can not hope to keep up with the working's of my brilliant mind, Mwahahaha… woah, ego rush. Ok, over it ^_^**

**That flashback kinda ran away on me and took over the chapter. It originally popped into my head as a good way to start, not realising it would pretty much become Ch 9. But, it explains the start of Kakashi's fascination with Iruka so I doubt you're all too disappointed. I also figured that having Sakura come in and use some of her super healing mojo magic was better than going:**

**Three weeks later, Iruka woke up and needed to pee. Kakashi was thrilled and glomped him with glee. **

**Now clicky the button and review for me! Or no smut next chapter for YOU!**


	10. Stealthy Speeches and Classroom Nightmar

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I'm also going to be crucified by my reviewers (you'll understand why by the end of the chapter).**

**Edited 2010… that is all.**

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 10: Stealthy Speeches and Classroom Nightmares**

_"It's alright, Iruka-sensei, you sleep. We'll all still be here when you wake up." Kakashi said, valiantly resisting the urge to run his fingers through the silky hair, knowing nothing helped the younger man reach sleep faster. He would know, he'd been doing it for the past few days._

_"Of course we will," Sakura agreed, smiling again._

_Iruka's eyes briefly closed before forcibly opening again and once more locking onto the older Jounin's._

_"Promise?" he whispered weakly._

_"Absolutely." There was no doubt in Kakashi's voice._

**…**

The small roof cavity was hot, stuffy, smelly, and cramped. The music pumping from the bar below was annoyingly loud and made the task of listening in on any conversation impossible, but that's where the skill of lip reading was handy. Pulling his left leg back under himself and stretching out the right for its turn of blood flow, Sasuke resisted the urge to sigh in frustration as the below men continued to discuss the bar's waitress. They just sat there drinking their beers (cheap, disgusting stuff in Sasuke's opinion) going on and on about all the 'kinky' things they'd like to do to the woman and every now and then high fiveingeach other like meat-headed idiots.

_Morons_.

Sasuke had been trailing Abajai – or 'Mak-man' as his idiotic friends called him – all that afternoon after taking over from Kakashi at midday. Sasuke could not get over how incredibly wrapped up in his own self importance the man under surveillance was. He paraded around the village winking at young women and even sauntering up to a few with dirty pick up lines.

_Honestly, who the hell would be stupid enough to use the pick-up line "I believe you are what you eat, and by tomorrow I plan to be you."_

Well, obviously the man in the room below was stupid enough because he'd said it to at least five women that very afternoon. To the credit of the women, they had all told him to get lost and one even threatened him with severe bodily harm if he ever spoke to her again. Sasuke had found himself sincerely hoping that she would at least give him a swift kick to the head, that's what he'd been itching to do for the past six hours. Sasuke knew Gai would be waiting outside to take over shift but there was no way for them to swap positions without possibly alerting other the shinobi to their presence. As soon as Abajai left the building, Gai would take up surveillance and Sasuke could go home for some much needed stretching and possibly a hard spar if he could rile Naruto up enough.

How disappointing that this was their only lead so far. They had been trailing the irritating man for two days and nothing had happened, but he was still their best lead… their only lead. Sasuke would watch him for the next month if it meant he would eventually catch the bastards who had attacked the village and destroyed Naruto's home. The two of them had stood in the ruins that had once been an apartment building. It had never been flash or full of the latest comforts but it had been Naruto's and the young man was devastated at the loss.

Naruto had hidden it well – face controlled and voice level as he claimed he was lucky and others had it much worse than he – but those blue eyes had never been able to hide Naruto's real emotions from Sasuke. The darker haired man had only been able to place his hand on the blond's shoulder in small comfort before turning to walk back to the Uchiha compound and saying, "Come on." They had walked away side by side, Sasuke silently seething that someone had managed to hurt his secret love so deeply. That someone was going to pay and the longer Sasuke had to wait the more painful that payment would be. He was not known for his patience.

As if spurred by his dark demands, something of significance finally happened in the bar below. Suspicious movement across the room caught the ANBU's obsidian eyes and Sasuke watched as a small furry creature began to skulk toward his target. The weasel summons took great care to remain inconspicuous and no one else in the room seemed to notice its movements. Once it reached the table, the furry brown and white animal snuck up to Abajai and climbed up the inside of the man's pant leg. While any normal person would at least be mildly surprised at the sensation of a small, fuzzy body suddenly taking residence in one's pants, Abajai didn't even flinch. He continued to laugh and joke with his friends for a few minutes as he drained the drained the last of his drink.

Sasuke knew from Abajai's file that the man didn't have a summons so it was a safe bet that someone else was trying to contact Abajai incognito. Soon after finishing the drink, he stood and bid a rowdy farewell to his buddies (more high fivesand seedy jokes) before leaving the bar with a relaxed swagger. Sasuke needed to find Gai and report this interesting development before the taijutsuist took over watch. Working his way out of the roof and being careful to replace the tiles exactly, Sasuke ignored the frigid early winter air and took off in the direction Abajai's chakra signature was heading. He didn't need to find the Tortoise as the man was waiting for him in a tree a block from where their target walked.

Landing on the branch next to the Tortoise, Sasuke couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated by the sheer size of the man. When Gai dressed normally, his green spandex, horrible haircut, and giant eyebrows really did detract from the fact that he was a very tall, broad, and supremely muscled shinobi. Coupled with the ANBU uniform and vicious snapping-tortoise mask, Maito Gai really was an intimidating figure. The Feline masked ANBU crouched next to the larger man and delivered his report.

"Nothing of significance happened for the first few hours. About 15 minutes ago a weasel summons appeared in the bar where he was drinking and has crawled up the inside of his left pant leg. It took great care not to be seen by anyone in the building."

Gai nodded quietly and Sasuke was again struck at how imposing the man was. The taijutsu master had been so different from his usual loud and exuberant character, the perpetually joyful beautiful green beast becoming a wise and strong team member. The masked face turned to him and the younger man couldn't help but wonder what words his senior Shinobi was about to impart upon him.

"Well done, my youthful and tenacious friend. Your powers of observation have clearly lead us to a new and exciting breakthrough in this heinous plot against our fair and charming village. Fear not," Tortoise declared, thumping a fist against his breast plate, "I shall endeavour to discover the hidden meaning behind the appearance of the small, co-conspiring rodent or I shall climb the Hokage mountain 200 times before my next shift."

Gai gave the smaller ninja a few solid thumps on the shoulder before flashing a thumbs up sign and dashing off in the direction of their target's chakra signature. Sasuke watched him depart with a sense of disbelief and annoyance.

_What the hell? What happened to the serious and sober Gai from the Hokage's office? Suddenly we're back to flowery speeches and stupid promises._

A flash from the corner of his eye had Sasuke checking his shoulder. Aw great! It was sparkly! The bastard had left sparkles on his bloody shoulder. Now he had to skulk home while sparkling. Fan-fricking-tastic!

Grumbling mentally, the dark haired Jounin dashed off and tried to stick to the shadows. It wasn't until he was part way home that he realised Gai had delivered his entire motivational performance in hushed tones and without the aid of a fiery sunset backdrop. The man even had stealth speeches.

**…**

Sunlight streamed through the open windows of the class room, the soft breeze teasing those condemned to be inside with hints of open fields full of tall, sweet grass just begging to be run through. Birds darted through a clear blue sky calling joyfully to each other and the hum of Konoha's streets created peaceful back noise in the classroom. The students chatted happily but quietly amongst themselves, planning antics and activities for the sunny afternoon, as Iruka finished writing the hand sign sequence for performing the substitution jutsu on the board. He felt wonderful, fully recovered and ready to take on the world. Sakura's skills as a healer were truly remarkable and he was now back to the comfortable routine of his simple life. The deranged and hellish nightmare of the battle seemed nothing more than a distant recollection; ready to be forgotten and cast aside for life's every moving trek forward. As he was putting the finishing touches on his demonstration and marvelling at the fact that none of the students had yet thrown anything pointy at his back, Iruka was distracted by the sensation of something wet against his toes.

_Huh?_

Looking down with mild curiously, the teacher's heart gave a mighty thump before it stopped dead in his chest. The wet substance was blood. He was standing in blood, two inches deep.

_Oh Kami, NO!_

Adrenaline kicking in, Iruka spun around to check his students but nothing could have prepared him for the sight that met horrified brown eyes. The sunshine was gone, thick dark clouds now blanketed the sky casting the class room into stark relief. The children were dead. They were slumped in chairs or lying half over desks with eyes wide open and unseeing. Small faces were contorted in terror, mouths opened, and muscles tensed from silent screams that never made it past their lips, massive gaping wounds across every one of their necks. Some of the wounds were a single slash while others looked as though they'd been mauled by a rabid beast. The wounds all had one thing in common, though, blood continued to flow.

It poured from the small bodies and onto the floor like miniature, deep red waterfalls. The entire world existed in shades of grey except for that bright, vivid red. All sound was non-existent, not the dripping of blood nor the sound of a splash as the piece of chalk dropped from Iruka's numb fingers into the red pool. A cry of anguish tore its way up Iruka's throat but didn't make it to his mouth. It lodged in his gullet blocking all oxygen from getting into his lungs. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't move. His body refused to move, his mind refused to comprehend the horror in front of him.

The sound of soft foot falls reached his ears and if Iruka thought he was in a living nightmare before he'd been wrong. From the dark shadows at the back of the room walked the Mist leader, Rikiryou. The massive man advanced slowly, each step created ripples in the blood and caused it to lap over Iruka's exposed toes. Half the Mist-nin's body was cast into darkest shadow, the exposed black eye fixed on Iruka's face radiated waves of pure hatred and fury. Rikiryou's cruel face was twisted in a sneer of terrifying anticipation as a low sadistic chuckle rumbled deep within the barrel chest. What held the sensei's horrified attention, though, was the small, struggling body dangling desperately in the air.

The boy was suspended by huge fingers fisted in his wispy hair. His mouth was open wide, lips cured back with teeth bared, and by the heaving of the small chest the child was screaming painfully. Pleading, colourless eyes bore into horrified brown but no sound of the child's anguish and struggles reached the frozen Chuunin's ears. All Iruka could hear were those footsteps coming slowly closer.

_MOVE!_

Iruka screamed mentally at his useless body. He had to save the child, had to stop this mad man from killing another innocent, but his body wouldn't budge. He couldn't even draw breath and scream at Rikiryou to let the child go. He was suffocating and paralysed and defenceless.

_MOVE! Fuck, why won't you move? He'll die if you don't move! MOVE, DAMN IT!_

Rikiryou stopped in front of the Chuunin, lifted the small body so that Iruka was face to face with the soundlessly screaming boy. Tears streamed from the child's terrified eyes and Rikiryou smirked cruelly. In one swift motion, the blade of a tanto was drawn across the child's throat.

_NO!_

Burning hot blood sprayed against the teachers face, clinging to his skin and flooding into his mouth and nose. The scent and taste of iron choked him further while the liquid scalded his skin raw. Still Iruka couldn't breathe, still he couldn't move. Couldn't even fucking blink. He could only helplessly watch as the Rikiryou callously threw aside the dead child. Not even a splash or thump sounded when it hit the floor. Leaning in close to Iruka, the monster's face moved from shadow and the Chuunin stared into the impaled eye, the tag wrapped charcoal stick protruding from the socket. Intraocular fluid oozed slowly down Rikiryou's cheek to drip off his large chin. Iruka watched helplessly as the Mist leader lifted the blood streaked tanto and placed it against his left shoulder. Leaning in closer, disdainful lips brushed against the teacher's ear and hot breath burned its way across his skin. The voice was as harsh and cruel as the petrified Chuunin remembered.

"_Scream_ for me."

The tanto was driven home.

**…**

A ceramic cup fell from Kakashi's hands as a terrified scream tore the air. Before it even shattered on the tiled kitchen floor, Kakashi was at the door of the bedroom with kunai in hand. In one swift glance, he assessed the situation. There was no threat, no enemy, no one else in the room except for an extremely distressed Chuunin. Iruka was pressed hard back against the headboard of the bed, knees curled to his chest defensively. His right hand was wrapped in a death grip over his left shoulder, nails cutting into the bruised skin and causing blood to stain the soft blue t-shirt he wore. The teacher's face twisted into an expression of pure terror with the expressive brown eyes screwed tightly closed. Kakashi had the kunai securely stowed away and was across the room in less than a second. He knew it must have been one hell of a nightmare to pull such a cry from the tough teacher.

"Iruka," Kakashi called, sliding onto the bed next to the panicking man. "Iruka, open your eyes."

Reaching over to gently pry Iruka's hand from his shoulder, pale fingers had barely brushed bronzed skin before another cry of terror erupted from the full lips and an elbow flew directly for Kakashi's head. Ducking, the Jounin easily dodged the blow and caught the wrist as it went past. While he was certain Iruka couldn't hurt him, Kakashi was worried the injured man would hurt himself. Moving swiftly but carefully, the Copy-nin straightened Iruka's legs and straddled them to hold them immobile. He quickly caught the other tanned arm, which was taking a swing at his head, and crossed the slender wrists before pinning them both with one hand to his vest. The Chuunin was able to offer no resistance in his weakened state.

"Iruka, please open your eyes." Shaking the terrified man would only frighten him further so Kakashi opted to reach out and cup a cinnamon cheek. "It's a dream, Iruka, a nightmare. Open your eyes and come back to me."

Kakashi continued to call to the younger man as his callused thumb brushed over the tears streaming from between hard pressed eyelids. Iruka was no longer screaming but sucking in ragged lung fulls of air as if he'd not been able to breathe for the last hour. How long had that damned nightmare been going?

_He didn't make a sound. I would have come at the slightest noise and woken him. What the hell did he dream of?_

"Come on, lo- sensei," he barely caught himself. Kakashi couldn't afford to make mistakes like that now that Iruka was lucid again. "Open your eyes for me."

Dark lashes fluttered and finally rose; revealing dilated and tortured eyes. They stared at each other silently for a moment, Kakashi unsure what to do and Iruka obviously adjusting to no longer being in his nightmare. Slowly, Kakashi released Iruka's wrists keeping his senses open for any signs of attack but unable to look away from the pained eyes.

"Yo," he whispered. He didn't know what else to say.

The younger man stared back at him in bewilderment for a second before his expressive face flooded with anguish and fresh tears began to fall.

"I'm sorry," Iruka choked out, covering his face with his hands and failing to hold back a sob.

Kakashi couldn't stop himself from wrapping his arms around the teacher's shuddering frame. One pale hand buried into in dark strands and guided the Chuunin's head to rest on his shoulder while the other rubbed comforting circles across the sobbing teacher's back.

"It's alright. It happens to us all, just get it out. It's over now. You're safe."

'_You're safe.'_

The words echoed in Iruka's head. He was safe, he knew that now. It had just been a horrible nightmare. His students weren't dead, hadn't been murdered before his eyes and that monstrous man wasn't standing over him with a weapon. Rikiryou was dead, Iruka had killed him. Leaf had won the battle and he was home in Konoha. He was even leaning against the powerful frame of the most skilled shinobi in Fire country's history while he… wait a minute.

Iruka tried to pull back and was only hampered for a moment by strong arms before they released him, hands moving to his shoulders and gently easing him back to recline against soft pillows. Hurriedly wiping away the remaining tears, Iruka gazed up in confusion at the silver haired man kneeling over him.

"Wha… What are you doing here?"

Iruka blushed, realising how rude he'd just sounded. After all, Kakashi had just woken him from a nightmare and supported him while he came back to his senses.

"I- I mean…" Gazing around the room in embarrassment, Iruka paused when, much to his amazement and added confusion, he discovered that it wasn't his apartment, or the hospital. He'd never seen this room before. Whose house was he in? "Where am I?"

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**AN: I'm sorry! *Runs from room dodging flying pointy objects thrown by angry reviewers* I meant to delete that section in my last Authors Notes about smut. I'm very sorry but it's just too early in the story, there hasn't been enough character development yet. I tried thinking of a hundred different ways to fit it in and it just wouldn't fit. But Kakashi and Iruka are finally going to have 'the talk' in the next chapter and you'll find out more details about the battle and mission. It'll be good, promise!**

**Again, I thank you all for being such wonderful reviewers and I hope to come back to more of your fabulous comments! Please review for me, it really does make my day receiving them and getting to write back to you :) I'll miss you all while I'm gone but my head will continue to spin plots for your pleasure!**


	11. Long Awaited Talks and The Sadistic Tort

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. But I am the academy's janitor.**

**AN: I'M BACK! And this was edited in 2010.**

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 11: Long Awaited Talks and the Sadistic Tortoise**

_Iruka tried to pull back and was only hampered for a moment by strong arms before they released him, hands moving to his shoulders and gently easing him back to recline against soft pillows. Hurriedly wiping away the remaining tears, Iruka gazed up in confusion at the silver haired man kneeling over him._

_"Wha… What are you doing here?"_

_Iruka blushed, realising how rude he'd just sounded. After all, Kakashi had just woken him from a nightmare and supported him while he came back to his senses._

_"I- I mean…" Gazing around the room in embarrassment, Iruka paused when, much to his amazement and added confusion, he discovered that it wasn't his apartment, or the hospital. He'd never seen this room before. Whose house was he in? "Where am I?"_

**…**

The silence stretched out for a few moments as Kakashi prepared himself to answer Iruka's question. Obviously the question itself didn't pose a problem, the answer was simple: they were at his house. The problem lay in the implications behind the answer. The answer to this question would prompt other questions until the very confused man realised everything he'd ever owned was destroyed and he was defenceless against even an averagely trained child. The Jounin quickly worked through all the scenarios possible and came to one conclusion: this conversation was not going to end well.

Damn it, those dark eyes were staring right at him, searching his gaze for answers. Kakashi would try and make the moment as painless as possible but the Chuunin was still going to be deeply hurt by the news of his situation. Of that there was no doubt.

"This is my house," Kakashi eventually answered in a friendly manner, flashing a curved eye smile.

_Might as well start things off on a positive note, _the Jounin mentally reasoned.

Iruka looked startled and cast his eyes around the room again. "Your house? I-I don't understand. Why?" His voice was still raw and hoarse.

Kakashi made a mental note to get the teacher a cool drink before they continued too much further. He would wait until Iruka asked him a particularly difficult question and then Kakashi would use the distraction for time to think. Haha, he was such a deviously clever genius. For now, though, he needed to stop the blood seeping from his Chuunin's shoulder. The Copy Ninja maintained his one eyed smile while he dug a compress out of one of his vest pockets.

"The Hokage's placed you in my care." It wasn't a total lie. Tsunade had given him permission to keep the teacher, he'd just pre-empted that she would and picked him up early. "I'm to help you through your recovery. What do you remember?"

Kakashi asked the question casually but in truth he was terrified of the answer. Did Iruka remember Kakashi begging him to live? Calling him 'love'? Holding him in the bath and kissing his hair while whispering comfort? Holding him close as they slept?

While Iruka sorted through his hazy memories, Kakashi pulled out a kunai and sliced away the material from the bleeding shoulder before pressing the compress to the small cuts. The younger man watched his movements carefully and Kakashi had clearly seen the moment Iruka needed to suppress the instinct to defend when confronted with a blade. It was good that the Chuunin's instincts were still intact even if it was temporarily impossible for him to defend himself.

"Do you have to move so fast?"

The question was uttered in a small voice and took the Jounin aback. He'd been moving deliberately slowly out of politeness but without chakra the injured man no longer had a sense of shinobi speed.

"Sorry, I'll slow down." Kakashi didn't want Iruka to know how defenceless he was just yet. No doubt it would come up later in the evening. "Can you remember anything?"

Sighing, the younger man rubbed at the scar over his nose and Kakashi enjoyed the characteristically insecure gesture. The teacher's nervous habit really was adorable.

"Everything's fuzzy. I remember waking up and Sakura was here, so were you. I think I remember what we talked about but it gets hazy towards the end. Did I pass out?"

Kakashi gave him a reassuring smile and waved a dismissive hand in the air. "Maa, you were very tired. We told you to sleep and you didn't argue."

Iruka nodded and licked his dry lips. Kakashi watched the movement greedily but was careful to keep his expression passive. The Chuunin had no idea how unconsciously alluring he was.

"Umm, everything else seems to be snippets of strange things. Light that stung my eyes, pain, lots of people bleeding, and two little girls dirty and crying. I think they were students at the academy."

"You gave them your bed," the Jounin told him in a quiet voice. "You could barely move and had lost so much blood but still dragged yourself onto the floor and tucked them in."

The younger man blushed slightly at the praise in the Jounin's voice.

"Well, they looked tired," he said bashfully. The Chuunin frowned slightly while trying to make sense of the flashes going through his head. "After that nothing makes any sense at all. There was a floating orange blob, breathing pillows, the biggest dog you can imagine. Seriously, the thing was _huge_. It was all black and its head was about this big."

Iruka held up his hands, measuring out how large the dogs head was. Kakashi chuckled at the younger man's amazement of his Bull. The mutt could be pretty intimidating if you were caught unprepared and Iruka would have been as unprepared as you could get.

"Was he nice?" the Copy-nin asked.

Bull had a very gentle temperament when they weren't in battle, Kakashi had no doubt the dog had been kind to the teacher but wanted to check if Iruka was scared of him. It wouldn't do to have him nervous around any of the pack, especially since they were so precious to Kakashi. Iruka smiled though and instantly all the Jounin's worries were eased.

"I don't remember what we talked about but I did feel safe with him. I seem to remember him supporting me as I washed my face… it's very confusing. Pakkun was there but I don't remember what we talked about. I'm sorry, I'm not making much sense." The dark head lowered in embarrassment and the scar was once again rubbed.

_He remembers being in the bathroom but does he remember me being there with him? _

Before he really considered the action, Kakashi reached out and placed his fingers beneath the dipped chin, tilting it back up so brown eyes once more met his.

"Please, keep going."

The Chuunin nodded and Kakashi dropped his hand, the warmth of their contact remaining on his fingertips.

"After that it becomes even more blurred. I was so cold I thought I would die then lowered into something that was burning my skin while a soft voice spoke to me." Iruka turned unsure eyes to the silver haired shinobi. "Mostly I remember being in pain and something trying to take it away but I don't know what that something was."

Kakashi nodded and ducked his head to hide the relief flooding his system. Iruka remembered practically nothing at all and anything the man did recall he would likely put down to the delusions of a fevered mind.

"I know it may sound weird," the uncertain Chuunin continued. Kakashi looked up to find the chocolate eyes slightly glazed, as if the teacher was focusing on something internally, "but through out everything it felt like there was something protecting me. It was constantly there watching and helping when I most needed. I would be cold and it would wrap around me, something would hurt and it would sooth." Iruka's eyes focused again and he blushed a deep shade of red, realising the close scrutiny he was under. "Sorry, just thinking out loud."

Kakashi checked the wounds under the compress and noted they'd almost stopped bleeding. He was glad Iruka remembered him in that way, he almost sounded like a guardian angel. Although, in reality he was certainly no angel but he would always be there to protect the Chuunin, whether the younger man knew it or not. The masked man smiled in his unique way at the teacher's description of him, it was really quite flattering.

"Well, that everything I'm afraid, Kakashi-sensei. I have to say, it just doesn't make any sense," Iruka mused. "Why would I be assigned to you? You're an elite, not a carer. This is totally unheard of, unless there was no one else too-" Iruka gasped, lunged forward, and grabbed the Jounin by the vest with desperation clear in his eyes. To Kakashi the movement seemed sadly slow and he easily kept the compress in place. "How many people died? Is the village alright? What's our status?"

"Woah, woah, Iruka-sensei." Kakashi held up a placating hand and dropped his smile. "The village is damaged but functioning and stable. Only the first attack made it through, the second wave was stopped, and the third quite neatly sabotaged by yourself. There have been deaths but they were minimal, lots of injured. Few that were injured have died and the hospital is full to overflowing, which is why you're here in my care. My team and Team Gai have been kept on to act as protection for the village but missions are continuing as usual. Relations between Fire and Water are rocky though the Mizukage has sent word he had nothing to do with the attacks and has even offered aid."

Iruka looked somewhat relieved by the information and slumped against the pillows again.

"How was the second wave of boulders stopped?"

"It was quite a joint effort from what I've been told. The Akimichi clan super-sized and took out a couple in a display of pure, stubborn brute strength. The Hyuuga were able to destroy another by using the Byakugan and analysing the weaknesses points in the chakra casing. From there they hit it at strategic spots to fracture the rock. Apparently, it was quite a sight to see. Neji and Hinata were at the forefront and worked as seamlessly as if they had done it a million times before." Kakashi leaned down and whispered confidentially, "It's sparked up quite the rumours within the village about those two."

He internally cackled as he saw the curious and surprised expression cross Iruka's face at the possibility of two students he'd watched hate each other for years possibly find a new connection.

"The last two were taken out by none other than my three brats. Sakura punched the chakra shield so hard it dissipated and then Sasuke hit it with a well aimed Chidori. Strangely it didn't blast the rock apart but rather dug a tunnel through itl" Kakashi chuckled at memory of his former students enthusiastically recounting the situation. "Naruto surprised us all with a flash of strategic genius and dived into the tunnel. He crawled super fast to the middle of the bolder then used the Rasengan to break it up into smaller pieces that the other shinobi could break up further. Tsunade-sama took out the last boulder all on her own. I think she needed the anger outlet."

Kakashi watched as the academy sensei processed the information, glowing with pride for his former students. Kakashi let him enjoy the moment, the answers would just get worse from there on out and the Jounin had always hated being the barer of bad news. He finished doctoring the Chuunin's shoulder and Iruka raised tired eyes to the masked face.

"Thank you." The Copy-nin watched in glee as an adorably shy expression worked its way onto the teacher's face and a blush bloomed across the scarred nose. "Ah…why are you sitting on me?"

_Oh, I am too._

The Jounin didn't show any surprise even though he had forgotten he was still straddling the younger man's legs. He just smiled that funny smile of his again and cocked his head to one side.

"Maa, you looked so comfortable, sensei, I couldn't resist. I suppose it's only fair you have a turn too. Would you like to sit in my lap?"

_I'd like you to! Very much!_

The blush intensified and the brown eyes narrowed. He couldn't help but laugh mentally at the cuteness of it all.

"Please, Kakashi-sensei, would you get off me."

Yay! The teacher voice was back. Weak and cracking, sure, but the tone was definitely there. Kakashi grinned and nimbly swung one leg over Iruka's, settling cross-legged on the bed covers. He was still very close to the academy sensei and Iruka looked mildly nervous at his close proximity, but in a good way. Kakashi had always loved how flustered the younger man got around him even though he tried to keep up a professional appearance. Right then, though, Iruka just looked a little lost and out of his depth.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you so much. There's no need for you to be bothered any further by me. I'll go home and get out of your way," the younger man offered up an adorably shy smile before going on to say the most ridiculous thing Kakashi had ever heard (and Gai was his closest friend!). "I'm sure you don't want me in your bed."

The look the silver haired man gave Iruka could only be described as incredulous. He'd never heard a more incorrect statement in his entire life. Iruka would learn the error of his ways soon enough. The more pressing issue, however, was that the Chuunin wanted to return home. That was not good at all, the moment Kakashi had been dreading was upon him. There was only one thing to do.

"Your voice doesn't sound too good, you need something to drink. I'll be back in just a moment."

With that, the Jounin fled the room. Phew, it was good to have an out!

**…**

_I didn't think that small joke would disgust him so much. Of course he doesn't want me in his bed. I'm a man, he's as straight as they get and damn popular. I've likely interrupted a number of late night 'liaisons' for him._

Kakashi had fled the room so fast Iruka barely saw more than a blur. Damn quick Jounin. Stupid eyes wanting to close and go to sleep again. What day was it anyway? Iruka huffed in frustration and tried to stay awake. He was so terribly tired yet felt like he'd slept for a week. What the hell was going on here? He was not an idiot; there was no way any injured Chuunin would be put under in care of an elite Jounin just because the hospital was full. Something was as off as a fish milkshake in the summer sun.

Iruka scrubbed his hands over his face and tried to force his tiredness away. He decided to give himself a little chakra boost, just to tide him over until he got home and could crash in his own bed. Focusing, he knew he was depleted and would need to dig deep. Nothing happened. Ok, maybe he needed to dig a little deeper. Focusing completely internally and reaching for his chakra core Iruka discovered it to be… empty!

_Empty? That can't be!_

Like every good teacher presented with an unexpected inconsistency, Iruka checked again. Same result. He had no chakra. Not even a hint remained in his system. The injured Chuunin took a moment to digest this information… then he panicked.

_I need answers now! Where the hell's Kakashi?_

Throwing back the covers he looked down at the strange clothes covering his body. The ruined blue t-shirt definitely wasn't his and neither were the black pants only just held on his hips by a drawstring waist. There were so many bruises of varying hues on his arms, Iruka didn't want to know what the rest of his body looked like. He must resemble a patch-work quilt.

Shuffling slowly to the edge of the bed, the teacher paused and panted heavily. Ok, that had taken _far_ more effort than it should have. Pushing to his feet, he staggered two steps on weak and shaking legs before realising this likely wasn't the most intelligent course of action he'd ever embarked upon. Deciding he'd made a supremely stupid move, Iruka was about to head back to the bed when his legs collapsed. Fire shot through his system as his battered knees hit the floor and Iruka released a sharp agonised cry. Throwing out his hands to brace himself, they couldn't take his weight and folded.

_Oh shit!_

Hi face was stopped inches from the floor by a strong arm wrapping around his chest.

"What are you _doing_? You can't be out of bed yet, you're not strong enough."

Iruka was effortlessly hauled upwards and the whole world tilted as he was flipped around and cradled in Kakashi's arms. The rapid shifts in direction were too much for his pain muddled head and he lay limp in the Jounin's arms with eyes closed and muscles trembling from the shock. It was crazy, he'd never felt so weak in his entire life. Not even as a child.

"I have no chakra," he mumbled dazedly.

He heard and felt the man holding him sigh.

"I know," the deep voice responded gently. "You used it all in the fight. Absolutely everything. You're lucky to be alive, sensei."

The soft mattress met his back as Kakashi lay him down carefully. Iruka curled into a pillow on his side where it hurt the least and tried to stop shaking.

Opening tired eyes, he looked apologetically at the man hovering over him. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble. I've taken up your bed and your time; I think I'm even in your clothes. I should go home and leave you in peace. If you could take me there I won't bother you anymore."

The grey eye looked down at him with sadness swimming in its depths. A bad feeling began to worm its way into Iruka's chest. Something was very wrong, Kakashi was keeping something important from him and if that look was anything to judge from it was something terrible.

"Kakashi-sensei, what aren't you telling me?" Sometimes the best way to tackle bad news was head on.

Iruka didn't think he would be able to stay awake much longer and he needed to know before falling into unconsciousness again.

Those dark eyes looked up at him with a mixture of exhaustion, nervousness, and that admirable inner strength that Iruka seemed to possess in spades. The injured man was close to passing out and obviously still in pain from the fall, but determination to tackle whatever terrible news Kakashi had was evident in his whole demeanour. What wasn't he telling the teacher?

_So much_, Kakashi thought sadly.

He wasn't telling Iruka about his homeless situation, about the academy being destroyed, about how much he loved him, and how he desperately wanted to be that pillow the bruised arm was wrapped around.

He'd delayed for long enough, though; it was time to deliver the bad news. After he'd given the Chuunin a drink. Ok, so he was a going to delay the inevitable for a little longer.

"You need some fluids in your system. It'll help your throat too." Not waiting for a response, Kakashi slid an arm under the exhausted man's shoulders and eased him carefully into a sitting position, Iruka powerless to resist him. Pulling the bottle of cooled tea from his pocket, the Jounin uncapped it and pressed it to the teacher's lips. "Here, drink."

Iruka didn't argue. Instead the teacher lifted a hand to cradle the bottle; fingers brushing against the Kakashi's and making the Jounin suppress a shiver. He watched the Chuunin's adam's apple bob as he swallowed and resisted the urge to lick it. He forever seemed to be resisting and suppressing urges around the delicious sensei.

When Iruka had drunk enough, the Copy-nin eased him down. The bottle was capped and set aside and there were no more excuses to delay the inevitable.

"You can't go home," Kakashi said in a low tone.

The dark eyebrows dipped in confusion. "Why?"

Iruka's voice was still raspy but sounded better after the drink, Kakashi noted. He looked directly into the dark eyes gazing up at him and let out a small sigh.

"Because you have no home to go to." If he was going to give bad news he would give it all at once rather than draw out the pain. "Your house and the ninja academy have been destroyed, crushed in the first wave of projectiles. There's nothing but rubble left of both of them." He looked into the shocked eyes and ploughed on. They would get it all over and done with now, then he'd help the teacher recover. "I'm sorry, Iruka, both are completely gone. I went and checked myself and there's nothing left."

The teacher drew in a shuddering breath and held it. So many emotions ran through the brown eyes and Kakashi doubted he could have identified them all even with the help of the Sharingan. None of the emotions were good, though. They ranged from furious anger to utter helplessness. It was almost physically painful to watch.

"Naruto's house has been completely destroyed as well; he's living with Sasuke at the Uchiha compound. You're here because I've taken you in, freely. I'm going to help you through your recovery and you're welcome to stay for as long as you like."

_You're welcome to stay forever_, Kakashi added mentally.

The silence stretched on as Iruka absorbed his new situation. Eventually, the shaky breath was released.

"Were there any students or staff at the academy?"

Kakashi almost smiled. Trust Iruka's thoughts to immediately go to others.

"No, it was deserted. Even the janitor had finished for the day."

The dark head nodded and looked slightly relieved.

"And my neighbours, do you know if they all got out?"

Time for more bad news. Damn, Kakashi hated doing this.

"The family from the second floor was home, as was the landlady."

Kakashi briefly considered making some joke about not having to pay rent anymore but mentally slapped himself before seriously giving it thought. That would be an exceptionally idiotic move. The dark eyes were narrowed with grief, tears brimming along black lashes before sliding down Iruka's cheeks. Kakashi reached out and brushed them away without thinking and snatched his hand back, forcing it to stay in his lap. Iruka barely seemed to register the movement; it was likely too fast for him to fully comprehend in his current state.

The Jounin gave the only comfort he could in the situation. "They would have died instantly, Iruka. There was no pain, they wouldn't have even known."

Iruka sniffed and rubbed at his eyes.

"Thanks Kakashi. That's actually good to know. In a way, its better they the family went together than more orphans or grieving parents being left behind."

The lack of suffix after his name didn't go un-noticed by the Jounin. He had used Iruka's twice without attaching a suffix and without Iruka protesting. It was good to drop formality during times of sorrow and mourning. He hoped that all honerifics would be dropped from here on. If the younger man was going to stay Kakashi wanted Iruka to feel at ease, at home.

A humourless, self depreciating laugh escaped teacher's lips, surprising the Jounin with its bitterness. "This is the third time I've lost my home, you know. The first was during the Kyubi attack, my parents' house burned to the ground. The second time was when Orochimaru came with Sand. Seems I'm cursed, but better me then someone else."

Kakashi had actually known that, which was why he'd known it was going to hurt the Chuunin so much to have it happen again.

"Are you…" The younger man paused uncomfortably for a moment. "Are you sure it's alright I stay here? I can sleep on the couch."

Kakashi breathed a silent sigh of relief. His Chuunin would stay; he could watch over and protect him. The Copy-nin flashed a smile before answering.

"I was the one that brought you here, of course you can stay. And in this bed too, there'll be no couches for you. Not in the condition you're in."

Iruka nodded and tried to offer a small smile but only succeeded in looking abandoned and miserable.

"Thank you," Iruka replied in a small voice.

Kakashi watched as brown eyes refused to stay open anymore and the exhausted man passed out.

The injured sensei looked so alone and defenceless, there was no chakra signal and deep grief marred his features even in slumber. The Jounin knew his charge would sleep deeply and not wake for a good few hours. He remembered what Iruka had said about feeling a protective and comforting presence during his times of pain, so Kakashi gave into temptation and pulled off his hitaiate, vest, and shirt. Clad only in his standard issue pants and tight singlet with mask, he crawled under the covers. Wrapping his arms around the sleeping man and pulling him close, the Jounin inhaled deeply. Subtle hints of sandalwood still lingered. The miserable expression slowly lifted from Iruka's face and the younger man relaxed into the Jounin's warm embrace. Kakashi stayed with Iruka until long after the sun had sunk below the horizon.

**…**

"Abajai Makuto is dead."

"What?" demanded Tsunade. "How the hell did that happen?"

The Tortoise stood calmly before her but the Hokage could sense the man's frustration it was so palpable. Tsunade couldn't blame him; she was equally as angered by this news. Abajai had been the only lead they'd had into the vicious conspiracy against Konoha. Having the man die was frustrating to say the least.

"His femoral artery was chewed through by a weasel summons."

The well Godaime blinked a few times. Well, that was certainly an unusual and painful way to go. "Yes, Feline reported the appearance of the summons to me after you relieved him earlier."

If Tsunade hadn't been so pissed off over the death of their lead, she would have smirked at the memory of the grumpy young ANBU stalking in with the new feline mask in place and sparkles joyfully flashing on his shoulder. Sasuke had been _extremely_ cranky and muttered something regarding stealth speeches. It had all been quite amusing.

"What happened after they left the bar?" the Godaime asked.

"Abajai left Konoha via the east gate. The weasel remained in its concealed position until they were quite a distance from the village, then it told him to stop. It crawled out of his clothing and said exactly this: _Master D has deemed you to no longer be useful_. Abajai started demanding what the weasel meant by that but the little beast didn't waste time on explanations. It severed the artery in two bites. Abajai bled out quickly and they were too far from the village for anyone to hear." Gai paused to scratch the back of his masked head. "What happened after that was very strange. The summons removed Abajai's right shoe and on the heel of his foot was a tattoo. It was a four point shuriken with the kanji for 'unify' written above the point closest to the arch of the foot. The weasel sliced off the marked heel and teleported away, taking the tattooed skin with him."

Chewing on her thumb nail, the Hokage mulled over the information. "Do you think it detected your presence?" she asked.

The ANBU shook his head. Gai was many things and honest was at the top of the list. If he'd suspected he had been noticed, Gai would've owned up to it.

"Right, your team already has access to all personnel files. Find everyone with a connection to weasels. We'll have to investigate them all, luckily the little critters are unusual summons so there shouldn't be too many."

"Checking their feet for that tattoo will likely be a good indication as to who is a part of this conspiracy. It was deliberately removed and rather an unusual place to get inked. Very inconspicuous and rather suspicious," Tortoise mused.

An idea sneaked into Tsunade's blonde head and she grinned deviously.

"I do believe it's time for surprise annual physical check-ups, don't you, Tortoise?"

The Tortoise pumped a fist into the air enthusiastically.

"YOSH! Fair and beautiful Hokage-sama, I request most humbly that you allow my most excellently youthful team mate Lee and I the privilege and honour of gathering up those you wish to examine!"

Tsunade smiled at the familiar exuberant display and was getting ready for the sparkles to make an appearance when the man did something completely unexpected. Something that she had never heard the man do before and sent cold chills running down her spine. Maito Gai, Konoha's perpetually joyful Beautiful Green Beast, released a deep, low, sadistic chuckle. The sound reverberated evilly around the room and the most powerful woman in Fire Country had to steadfastly resist the urge to duck under her desk and hide.

"Trust me," that deep voice flowed from the vicious snapping tortoise mask, "Lee and I won't give anyone the opportunity to hide anything from you, Hokage-sama."

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**AN: a lovely long chapter for you all because I was away for so long. Hope you've enjoyed it. So, we delve deeper into the plot against Konoha. Who is this mysterious Master D? Who has Weasel summons? What does the foot tattoo mean? Does Sadistic Gai make you want to hide? *cue dramatic music***

**I love writing these characters so much :) Stick your hand up if you find sadistic Gai just a little exciting! Click review and put up your hand.**

**My trip was amazing! I can't even begin to describe how much fun my partner and I had. I also had time to begin a new fiction that many of you have already reviewed for me. It's called **_**Stranger Situations.**_** Check it out in my profile if you've not had a read yet.**


	12. Weak Chuunin and Protective Jounin

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I do paint the ANBU masks though.**

**Edited 2010, this was actually a damn fun chapter to write.**

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 12: Weak Chuunin and Protective Jounin**

_The Tortoise pumped a fist into the air enthusiastically._

_"YOSH! Fair and beautiful Hokage-sama, I request most humbly that you allow my most excellently youthful team mate Lee and I the privilege and honour of gathering up those you wish to examine!"_

_Tsunade smiled at the familiar exuberant display and was getting ready for the sparkles to make an appearance when the man did something completely unexpected. Something that she had never heard the man do before and sent cold chills running down her spine. Maito Gai, Konoha's perpetually joyful Beautiful Green Beast, released a deep, low, sadistic chuckle. The sound reverberated evilly around the room and the most powerful woman in Fire Country had to steadfastly resist the urge to duck under her desk and hide._

_"Trust me," that deep voice flowed from the vicious snapping tortoise mask, "Lee and I won't give anyone the opportunity to hide anything from you, Hokage-sama."_

**…**

Silently sliding the window of his bedroom open, Sasuke slipped inside just as the sun was setting. Ensuring the window was securely locked behind him, the Feline tugged the curtains closed and collapsed onto exhausted his bed. What a week it had been. The research into who had weasel as summons had led them to three candidates, all of whom were out on missions. They would have to wait until their return before any further investigation could be conducted. Following orders from the Hokage, the ANBU team had been rounding up shinobi suspected of possessing the strange shuriken tattoo. They had started with Abajai's meat headed mates from the bar and ranged out to all their known associates.

Gai and Kakashi had taking care of bringing in the shinobi wanted for questioning – all had walked in pale and shaken at being snatched off the street by the Hound – and Sasuke had erased their memories after questioning. The excessive use of the sharingan had left him exhausted. They had processed exactly thirty eight shinobi and eleven of them possessed the tattoo. They had all been dragged off for interrogation, carefully healed to leave no evidence, and their minds altered by none other than himself. Massive cause for concern came when one of the eleven traitors turned out to be a member of ANBU. The man was placed under the constant surveillance of one of Ibiki's hand picked teams, none of whom had the tattoo. Their orders were to observe and report all the man's contacts.

Regarding tattoos, Sasuke had received his ANBU mark that morning and damned if it didn't look HOT! If his fangirls ever found out he'd be mobbed in the street. Their tenacity was terrifying enough with him just being a returned missing-nin, if they found out he was trusted again and in ANBU… he shuddered to think. Sasuke was still eternally grateful that Sakura was over him and had formed a relationship with the socially inept Sai. The two actually made a surprisingly good couple and it meant he and Sakura had been able to actually start being friends.

The dark haired young man pulled off his ANBU mask and sighed. Pretty much any woman he cared to so much as grunt at would joyfully throw herself into his arms and bed, but one bloody idiot! Oh no, that was just too much to ask. Stupid, ignorant moron, it had been absolute torture having Naruto in the house. Not only was the blond loud and messy but walked around in only a towel after showering, gave him casual fleeting touches that had his blood threatening to rush south, and looked so damn fuckable when asleep.

Indulging in a jaw cracking yawn, Sasuke closed his eyes and just enjoyed being somewhere quiet and dark. He could feel Naruto's presence in the house and it was good to know he was close. One of these days he was just going to jump the oblivious idiot when the moron walked out of the shower in his stupid, teasing towel. As much as the blonde hated it, Sasuke was still faster.

The idea of jumping Naruto was happily fluttering around in his head when the door of his room was flung open and the light switched on.

"Hey bastard, do you know where…"

Startled blue eyes locked with obsidian as both men froze. Naruto's jaw dropped, wide eyes taking in the special op's uniform, tattooed arm, and feline stylised mask lying on the bed. Sasuke flowed to his feet and struggled to look unconcerned at being caught. Considering the identity of all ANBU were supposed to be secret, this wasn't a good situation. He had desperately wanted the blond to know he was in ANBU, had advanced further than him again, but it wasn't allowed. Naruto was looking over his uniformed body with wide, attentive eyes and it was making Sasuke feel heady. But, no one was supposed to know his identity, not even Naruto.

Sasuke was prepared to activate the sharingan, as painful as it would be, and alter the blond's memory. He'd had a lot of practice lately but a part of him still hated doing it to his best friend. Before he summoned up the chakra, though, the shorter Jounin smirked and slouched against the doorframe before saying the most unexpected thing.

"Heh, took ya long enough."

**…**

Iruka flopped onto the bed and grinned up at the ceiling. He had just, all by himself, made it to the bathroom without Kakashi's assistance either way. He'd managed to walk all the way down the hall and back on his own. While this wasn't something a grown man and trained ninja would usually be proud of, Iruka was definitely making progress and each step should be recognised.

The injured teacher had complete confidence that he would slowly and surely get stronger and make a full recovery. In no time flat he'd be slicing his way through hordes of enemy Jounin without even breaking a sweat… or at least back to teaching little wanna-be shinobi how to throw a decent punch. It had been an emotional roller coaster of a week but Iruka was determined to maintain a positive attitude. Gazing out the window and watching the dying rays of the golden sunset, he thought back over the past few days. They had certainly been interesting.

**One week earlier…**

With a gasp, Iruka jolted out of another terrible nightmare. Clutching his painfully heaving chest, the injured Chuunin curled into a ball on his side helpless as a hacking cough tore at his throat and set his insides on fire. It hurt so much, burning through his lungs and making the bruising around his ribs scream. His eyes watered from the pain and Iruka had known that Kakashi must have be out on patrol. He only had nightmares when the older man was gone because for some reason the Jounin's presence helped him sleep peacefully. When alone, though, the demons of his mind came out to play.

A hand slid beneath his shoulder and he was eased up into a sitting position where a solid arm across his back supported and held him steady. Something cold was pressed to his bottom lip and Iruka realised it was a glass.

_Looks like I was wrong about Kakashi being out._

He raised a slightly shaking hand to help cradle the glass, brushing against metal plated gloves, as cool water flowed down his damaged throat and eased the burning. It helped bring the cough under control and the lessening pain was such a blessing. The glass was taken away and he breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the moisture from his eyes and giving a little sniff as the strong arm continued to hold him up.

"Thanks Kakashi." He smiled weakly and looked up at the body beside him only to be faced with an ANBU mask. "Gya!"

The unexpected fright made him try and jerk away but the ANBU firmly held him in place. It was a good thing too because Iruka would have just brought on a whole new world of pain from the movement.

"Sorry for the rude awakening, Iruka-sensei," came a deep voice and Iruka snapped his head around to find Morino Ibiki standing at the end of the bed. Oh crap, he must still be in his nightmare. "I need you to report on what happened during the attack."

Reporting? Oh yeah, he hadn't told anyone about what had happened since Sakura had brought him back to reality. It had totally slipped his mind. How incredibly unprofessional, especially for one that worked at the Mission Office, and they'd had to go to the trouble of chasing him down. But, they had come when Kakashi wasn't home and managed to make it through all the traps he knew Jounin always activated before leaving the house. How had they gotten through completely unscathed?

"Of course, Ibiki-san," Iruka answered politely before looking up at the ANBU still supporting him and having another shocked jolt go through him.

It was the Hound! The deadliest and most famous ANBU soldier in all Fire Country. No wonder they had made it through the traps easily. Holy hell, the Hound was propping him up and had fed him water to ease a coughing fit! It would have been laughable if he wasn't so incredibly intimidated by the man's mere presence. Iruka could even feel the clawed tips of the gloves resting carefully against his arm through the thin cotton of his t-shirt. Blushing fiercely, Iruka bowed his head to the imposing figure and offered an apologetic smile.

"Thank you for your help, Hound-san. Ah, sorry for the trouble."

The masked face cocked slightly to the side, giving Iruka the strangest feeling that the ANBU was smiling at him. He was eased gently back against the pillows before the masked man stepped away. Iruka couldn't help but wonder if they knew each other, the touch had felt friendly. It was so bizarre.

Ibiki listened, asking a few questions here and there, as Iruka reported in his efficient and detailed manner all he'd observed during the battle. The only time either of the men reacted to any of the information was when Iruka told them about the four elite Jounin. The interrogation specialist and the Hound had looked at each other before Ibiki asked him to describe the snake tattooed man in as much detail as possible.

Recounting his battle with Rikiryou had been difficult but he'd switched off his emotions and delivered that section of his report as an outside observer would, paying special attention to the massive Jounin's strength and fighting ability. Eventually, they seemed to have gathered all the information they needed and Ibiki was satisfied with his account of the battle. This was a relief because Iruka didn't know how much longer he would remain conscious and his head was starting to ache.

"Thank you for your time today. I must say, Iruka-sensei, I am impressed with how you conducted yourself on the field of battle and the tenacity you demonstrated in defeating an enemy well above your level. You've should be proud of yourself. You have done your village proud."

Iruka blushed scarlet and bowed his head. Amazing! He'd just been complimented by the head of the Torture and Interrogation division and Ibiki wasn't known for giving false praise. How extraordinary.

"Thank you, Ibiki-san. I hope my report will be of some use to you."

The two men had left and Iruka immediately collapsed into exhausted sleep. It really had been difficult reliving that battle. His dreams were disturbed and just starting to turn particularly nasty when Kakashi had come home and woken him for some food.

"You won't believe what happened today," Iruka said excitedly after Kakashi helped him to the kitchen table.

Kakashi gave him a curiously bored look and set about laying the table for dinner. "What exciting things have you been getting up to? I thought you'd sleep all day."

"I did mostly but Ibiki-san came to get my report on the battle and guess who he brought with him."

"Who'd he bring? What exciting character came skulking through my humble abode?"

Iruka wrinkled his nose at the mock excited tone that contrasting horribly with the Copy-nin's bored slouch. Kakashi thought it was an adorable expression and made a mental note to make the Chuunin do it again.

"The _Hound_. Either your traps suck or he's just really that good because neither of them had as much as a scratch." Iruka had hoped that little tit-bit of information would interest the Jounin but the silver haired man just shrugged a shoulder.

"Well, what do you expect from the most skilled of our ANBU?" Kakashi carried their bowls of soup back to the table and sat opposite Iruka. "And my traps are excellent, I'll have you know. So, I hear all kinds of stories but tell me, what's he like?"

Dark eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "You were in ANBU. Haven't you met him?"

"Well, yes, but I always like to hear what other people think of him." The one eyed smile was flashed.

Iruka thought carefully about his impressions of the dangerous man while slowly stirring his soup to help it cool. His throat was still raw from earlier.

"I know this may sound strange about the country's deadliest assassin, but he seemed nice. I was intimidated but not scared of him. He helped me though a coughing fit before I practically screamed in his face with shock." Iruka groaned at the memory and hid his blushing face in his hands. "It was so _embarrassing_. Can't imagine what he must have thought."

Kakashi just chuckled. "Who knows? Maybe he thought you were cute."

Iruka shot him an unimpressed glare from between fingers before looking down at his bowl and beginning to eat. The teacher wouldn't look up again until Kakashi told him it was alright and the Jounin was immensely appreciative of the gesture. He'd not had to ask the Chuunin to do it; Iruka had just respected his privacy and averted his gaze so the masked man could leisurely enjoy his meal.

"This is really good," Iruka complimented after his first mouthful of food.

"Well, thank you, glad you like it. So, he wasn't scary?" Kakashi asked, going back to their previous conversation.

Iruka shook his head, but didn't look up. "Nope, not scary. I can see how he would be terrifying to the enemy, especially with his reputation, but to me he was kind. Guess it pays to be an ally."

The Jounin watched the injured man across from him with a relieved smile. Something felt lighter in his chest knowing Iruka didn't find his deadly alter-persona frightening.

"I can't help but wonder if I know him," Iruka continued, oblivious he was speaking to the one under discussion. "The way he touched me was friendly and I got the impression that he knows me. Can you imagine if it's someone I see all the time? Like one of the Mission Desk staff I eat lunch with? Or Genma and I smack him on the head for being rude?"

"That would be something," agreed the Jounin happily.

**End flashback.**

Iruka loved eating with Kakashi. The man was a fantastic cook and they always had a good conversation. Considering he wasn't seeing many people at the moment, the teacher really enjoyed their chats over food. He'd learned quickly that just because the Jounin looked bored didn't mean he wasn't interested or listening. Once he'd figured that out the conversations had flowed much smoother. Iruka pulled a blanket over him to ward off the chill evening air, winter was upon them and the weather becoming quite frigid.

As the teacher curled onto his side where it hurt the least, he reminisced back over the last week and knew he was totally reliant on the silver haired man. The thing that continued to amaze him was the Jounin was never late. They ate regularly and if Kakashi said he'd be home at a certain time he'd be there (or at least by a few minutes either side) and this was great comfort for someone as heavily dependant as Iruka was. They were getting along well together and Iruka was incredibly grateful for all the Jounin's help. It had been nice to see his other friends during the week too. Naruto came around every other day, sometimes dragging Sasuke with him. The raven haired man looked very tired, dark circles had formed under his eyes and Iruka was a little worried about him. They'd have to have a chat next time he came around. The visit that stood out in his mind, though, was when his two oldest friends had surprised him.

**Three days earlier…**

A heavy weight landed on the mattress next to him, bouncing Iruka from sleep with a frightened gasp. Kakashi never woke him up like this; the Jounin always did it carefully. Before he had time to sit up and really start to panic there was a joyful cry and two sets of friendly arms wrapped around him tightly. The unexpected wake up and adrenaline rush left him feeling quite light headed but he still recognised the spiky black hair of one invader and the voice of the other.

"Holy shit, it's good to see you man!" cried Izumo happily. "We've been worried sick. Ko's been harping on like an old woman."

Kotetsu lifted an arm from around Iruka and smacked the bandanna wearing shinobi in the back of the head.

"Shut up! I was not; I was just mildly concerned is all."

The fact that Kotetsu hadn't removed his other arm from around Iruka was a pretty good indication that he really had been worried sick. Iruka hugged the two men back fiercely and didn't miss the worried look that passed between them at his lack of strength.

"It's ok," Iruka assured them with a wide smile. "Turns out I over did it a bit."

"I'll say you did," agreed Izumo. "What the hell were you thinking taking on a whole camp of enemy all by yourself, idiot?"

"And with no weapons or armour either," scolded Kotetsu as he examined the bruised arm Iruka had wrapped around him.

The injured Chuunin just smiled sheepishly and push his sleep mussed hair back from his face. "Seemed like a good idea at the time. Besides, I had a few weapons."

Izumo laughed as Kotetsu frowned and started investigating the large bruise still gracing the side of Iruka's face. While his two friends checked him over – Izumo lifting the side of his t-shirt to inspect at the damage done to his ribs – Iruka looked up and saw Kakashi watching them quietly from the doorway. The Copy-nin leaned against the door frame, observing the scene with a single bored grey eye. Iruka gave him an apologetic smile; it must have been frustrating for the man to have so many people invade his house over the past week. The elite Jounin was well known for carefully guarding his privacy.

Kakashi watched as the two gate guards pawed over his Chuunin. They got to hug and touch and fuss over Iruka without protest while he could only stand back and watch jealously. Not that any of them would know he was jealous, his mask of perpetual boredom was flawless and perfectly in place. That didn't mean he was happy that two other men had just pounced on Iruka and were running their hands all over his body though. Iruka was all bed rumpled, happy sleepy smiles, and loose messy hair. Kakashi just wanted to crawl over him, bury his hands in the chocolate tresses, and kiss the soft lips into oblivion. The man was too unconsciously sexy for his own good.

Damn it! He knew he shouldn't have answered that knock at the door but these two were Iruka's close friends and Kakashi couldn't keep the injured man isolated. He'd watched the three of them on many occasions having dinner at Iruka's home and all the friendly, fleeting touches they'd always shared. It had never eventuated to anything then and there was no reason the two men would start groping the helpless teacher now… not that Kakashi was going to leave and give them that opening. The recovering shinobi was in his care and under his protection after all and it wouldn't do to have him molested in his own house. Unless he was the one doing the molesting, then it was absolutely fine.

He frowned internally as Kotetsu studied Iruka's face closely and Izumo lifted the side of his shirt to expose more bruised, skin. The dishevelled focus of their attention lifted apologetic eyes to him and offered a small, helpless smile. His heart gave a heavy thump and he smiled back. He decided to take it as an invitation to join them on the bed. Why not? It was his bed, after all.

Iruka was pleasantly surprised when the Copy Ninja wandered into the room. He didn't think Kakashi would join them and obviously neither had the other two, if their surprised expressions were anything to go by. The specialty ninja perched on the edge of the bed and the three friends took it in stride, Izumo quickly including Kakashi in the group.

"Not only do you look like a stain glass window with all that bruising but you're also fading away. Why are you suddenly so skinny, Iruka?" he asked, poking the injured Chuunin's stomach very gently before throwing a grin in the silver haired man's direction. "Kakashi-san, he does actually need to be fed and watered every now and then. Maybe taken out for the occasional sunny stroll and let loose to frolic in the park."

Iruka blushed and glared at Izumo as the three fully fit men chuckled good naturedly.

"Get stuffed," he muttered in mock annoyance and thumped the bandanna wearing shinobi in the chest.

The strike was sadly weak and slow to the able bodied shinobi and the two gate guards looked at Kakashi with deep concern in their eyes. Kakashi's return gaze was hard and clearly ordered them not to say anything and act normal. All this happened faster than Iruka could process in his injured state.

"It's not Kakashi's fault that all I can keep down at the moment is soup. He made this fantastic stew last night, which I then, ever so graciously, threw back up about five minutes after eating," Iruka said, oblivious to the silent exchange.

"Well, I'll just make it again when you're up for it. That massive chakra release did knock a few pounds off you," Kakashi said in a light tone, "and soup isn't much good for putting it back on."

"Yeah, Korean barbeque's the way to go according to young Chouji. Every time he uses those crazy power pills his clan makes he comes back about a hundred pounds lighter. All the girls go crazy over him until he hits that barbeque and stacks it all back on," Izumo said.

Kotetsu grinned at Kakashi evilly. "So, that's your secret to keeping that girlish figure. Take hard missions and dump a heap of chakra, come back looking slim and trim."

Iruka cracked up laughing at the shocked wide eye Kakashi adopted as the Jounin raised a gloved hand to his masked mouth in mock horror.

"Don't you dare go spilling my secrets to _Teen Shinobi_ magazine or all the good S-rank missions will be taken up by kunoichi trying to slim down."

The Chuunin laughed even harder at the mental image of the chaos that would cause in the Mission Office. "Could… could you imagine it?" he chocked out between laughter. "The room full of tubby kunoichi demanding high rank missions as part of their diet regime."

The other three men laughed at the idea of this as Iruka grabbed onto his ribs and hissed in pain.

"Oh, oh ouch," he gave a light chuckle and winced again. "Ow, don't make me laugh, damn it. It hurts too much."

Kotetsu rubbed a soothing hand over his back. "Have you ever noticed that it's harder to stop laughing when it hurts? How stupid is that?"

"Well, I think it's time for a little payback. Remember when I cracked four ribs and _you_!" Izumo yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Iruka. "The little shit you are, decided to cheer me up by setting random colour traps all over the hospital so whenever I had a doctor or nurse walk through the door their hair was dyed a new colour."

Iruka cracked up laughing again, painfully wincing and holding his sides. Kakashi looked stunned.

"That was _you_?"

"That was a long time ago," Iruka chuckled, slightly embarrassed that an example of his prankster past was now known to the elite Jounin. "Ah hell, that really does hurt."

"Aww, poor Ruka-chan. Cuddles make it better!" Izumo declared and lunged forward to fling his arms around Iruka.

Iruka let out an undignified yelp and leaned away only to be trapped by Kotetsu's body, but he needn't have worried as Izumo never made contact. Instead, the playful shinobi found one arm caught by Kakashi and the other snagged by Kotetsu who had also reached around Iruka to press his other hand against Izumo's chest. Iruka blinked in surprise at finding himself suddenly surrounded by a barrier of protective arms while Izumo sighed at his restrained position.

"What? I was going to be gentle."

"Idiot, you don't go jumping on sick people," Kotetsu admonished.

The restrained man smirked. "Did you hear that, Ru? Ko called you sick!"

With a roll of his eyes and a huff of disgust, Kotetsu forcibly pushed his friend away. Kakashi followed the movement and added a nice little touch by flicking his wrist and sending Izumo tumbling off the side of the bed. The two men chuckled evilly as Iruka looked around confused. The movement had been too quick for him to follow.

"Where'd he go?"

"Down here, Ru," came a disgruntled voice off the edge of the mattress.

Izumo's head appeared over the side and Iruka let out a howl of laughter. The bandanna had fallen off and the normally confined brown hair looked like a disastrous mix between Kotetsu's and Kakashi's on a bad day.

Tears ran down Iruka's face from the pain of laughing, but he couldn't stop. It was just too funny.

"You… you look like you've been through a hurricane-no-jutsu and then got zapped by Kakashi," Kotetsu laughed loudly. "No wonder you always wear that thing."

Izumo glared at them all and tried to get his hair under some form of control.

"Oh, shit that hurts," Iruka laughed, closing his watering eyes against the hilarious sight and gasping for air. "Put the damn thing back on before you kill me."

As Izumo grumbled and went about the task of trying to stuff his hair back under the bandanna, Kakashi flashed through a series of hand signs and lightly pressed his palms to Iruka's ribs. The pain instantly lessened and Iruka could breath easier.

"Phew, thank you," the Chuunin sighed with a wide smile and wiped away his tears. "What was that?"

The Copy Ninja shrugged. "It's a temporary paralysis technique. I just used so little chakra that all its done is numb your chest for awhile."

Iruka looked impressed and Kakashi felt elated.

"Well, you might want to hit his whole body with it full power," Kotetsu mumbled quietly, interrupting their little moment.

The smile instantly died on Iruka's face and he looked between his two friends with sad eyes. "I don't know if I can do this again, guys."

"Do what?" Kakashi demanded, annoyed the smile was gone. He would not allow these two to push his Chuunin into anything he didn't want to do and was instantly ready to throw them out of the house with excessive force.

Kotetsu put a gentle arm around the injured man's hunched frame and pulled him close. "It might be better if you don't this time. Just leave it be and start off fresh, eh? You know it's gone. You don't have to go see it."

The academy teacher sighed and shook his head as Izumo sat back on the bed, bandanna once more firmly in place and hair under control. "We came over today to see if Iruka wanted to go to where his house stood. The other times he scrounged the ruins and salvaged what he could but this time…"

"There's nothing left," Kakashi finished for him, understanding the loss of happy atmosphere.

"That'd be the rumour," Iruka muttered bitterly before looking up at Kotetsu. "I still want to go. If for no other reason, I should go and pay my respects for my neighbours who lost their lives in the attack."

The black spiky haired shinobi pulled him a little closer and nodded. "We'll take you. Has to be today though, we leave on a mission tomorrow."

"Yeah, got teamed up with Shikamaru and Asuma again to go to Suna and talk to the Kazekage about borrowing some of their shinobi. Need more man power to run extra missions and help bring in funds. Shikamaru's going to negotiate it and the Kazekage still owes us from when Kakashi here and others rescued him from Akatsuki," said Izumo. "We'll be gone a few weeks at least, you know how these political negotiations go and by the time we're back they'll be well into clean up."

Kakashi decided to interject before Iruka had a chance to speak. "If you're not up for going yet I can always take you later. It doesn't have to be today."

The Chuunin gave him a sad but grateful smile and took a deep breath. "I'd rather see it today. It's been eating at me and it'll be good to get it over and done with. I'll have to borrow your clothes, Kakashi." The teacher looked down and scratched at his nose scar.

Kakashi could sense this was something the three of them had done together before and it would likely be best not to disrupt the group dynamic.

"I'll see you when you get back," the Jounin replied giving a crinkled eyed smile.

As the other two Chuunin retrieved their shoes from the front door, Iruka plucked his hair tie from bedside table and scraped his messy strands into a low hold. The bruising to the back of his head still hurt too much to tie it up properly. Much to Kakashi's delight, Iruka usually left it down.

When Kotetsu and Izumo had returned, sandals in hand, Iruka gave them a nod. "Ok, let's go."

Kotetsu wrapped an arm around the chakraless Chuunin and flashed through the teleportation jutsu, as did Izumo. The three disappeared in puffs of chakra smoke.

Kakashi collected his shoes before following them. He reappeared on a roof top near enough that he could watch them but far enough away that they wouldn't detect his presence. The silver haired Jounin watched as Iruka stumbled backwards into Izumo's waiting arms after first laying eyes on the dust covered ground. He watched the expressive eyes become large with disbelief that everything, absolutely _everything_, had been so completely destroyed there was not even a broken plate or scrap of material left. There was no evidence of the landlady or the young family that had shared the building with him for the past few years. The boulder's chakra shield had done its job well.

The Chuunin stared at the area for a minute before walking forward on unsteady legs, bare feet dirtying in the dust. The long hair lifted in the breeze and fell forward over his shoulders as Iruka curled in on himself with grief. Kakashi's heart crumpled to the ground with the dark haired man. Izumo and Kotetsu knelt next to him, supportive and comforting hands on his back as he sobbed brokenly. Kakashi watched them for a few minutes before _he_ couldn't take it anymore. Fuck the group dynamic.

Kicking off the roof, he was at Iruka's side within a few seconds. The two gate guardians exchanged startled looks as the Copy Ninja landed in front of Iruka silently and leaned forward, speaking in a low tone.

"Do you want to stay?"

A harsh sob and slight shake of the dark head was more than enough of an answer and Kakashi had them both back home before the teacher had even registered he'd been gathered into strong arms.

**End flashback.**

Thinking back on it actually made Iruka smile rather than want to cry again. Kakashi had been very kind. They'd reappeared in the Jounin's lounge room where the older man carried him to the couch. There, the silver haired shinobi had sat the both down and pulled Iruka against him, leaning back so the distraught man was resting against the Jounin's solid chest. Kakashi had just held him as he wept. Iruka remembered gentle hands in his hair and soft words whispered in his ear, telling him that it was going to be alright and he wasn't alone. It didn't take long before the emotional strain had him passing out again. As he fell into darkness, the last things he remembered were powerful arms tightening around him and that deep voice.

"I won't let go."

The warmth that spread through the teacher from the memory had him smiling softly. He knew he should feel humiliated at crying like that on the elite Jounin's chest, but he didn't. The gentle way he'd been held and those kind words had made Iruka feel almost loved. Coupled with what happened just the day before, Iruka was struggling to squash the small flame of hope that had ignited in his chest.

**The previous day…**

"This is ridiculous, all I do is sleep. I'm not doing anything useful at all," Iruka grumbled as Kakashi helped him back to the bedroom.

This was the first time the teacher's temper had spiked since Sakura had brought him back to reality and Kakashi was surprised it hadn't happened sooner. The sensei was normally a busy man and used to being active and useful.

"Your body needs sleep to heal-"

"I know that," the Chuunin snapped irritably. "It doesn't mean I should just lie around doing _nothing_, there's got to be something I can help with. They're even bringing in shinobi from Suna for goodness sake! I should be out there working for the village, not constantly drifting off into lala land and… umm…"

"Healing?" Kakashi supplied helpfully when the Chuunin seemed to loose track of what he was getting at.

Oh, the glare Iruka shot the Jounin for that one! It would have made an Uchiha proud. Kakashi couldn't help but smile fondly at the grumpy teacher, especially when Iruka failed to stifle a yawn only seconds later.

"Whether you like it or not, Iruka-sensei, you have no choice but to sleep. Even I pass out for the first week after a hard mission."

"Oh, even _you_ do. Well, excuse the rest of us mere mortals for not taking out twenty S-class criminals before needing a nap," Iruka snapped again before flushing as he realised that statement actually made very little sense so he defensively grumbled, "And I thought we agreed to dispense with the formalities, _Jounin-sama_."

Iruka knew he was being very rude and that the older shinobi was only trying to make him feel better about his situation, but he was pissed off damn it. They reached the bed and he crawled onto the soft covers but sat there defiantly, refusing to lie down and admit defeat just yet.

Kakashi didn't mean to, but he started to chuckle at the rapid succession of emotions running across the Chuunin's face. The man was just in such a cute grump. The chuckle, of course, helped Iruka settle on one emotion very quickly. The teacher was cross. The dark eyes flashed and brow furrowed, then Iruka did something that almost killed the poor Jounin. He gave a petulant little pout.

_Oh, for the holy mother of temptations!_

That expression was dangerous. That expression would make a perverted Jounin do all manner of unseemly things to an unsuspecting sensei. Kakashi had to get Iruka to change his mood quickly. All out anger was less dangerous than that look.

"Maa, if you're _that_ desperate for something to do," he gave a deliberate and carefully choreographed sigh, "I suppose you could help me out with an issue I've been having."

_Iruka, my love, you could help me with a few issues I've been having._

Kakashi started backing towards the door slowly. The Chuunin might have been injured but he still had one hell of a temper on him. Thankfully, the pout had been replaced with a look of curiosity.

The brilliant Copy Ninja, Sharingan Kakashi, master of a thousand jutsu, child genius prodigy, and elite shinobi of Fire Country needed _his_ help with an 'issue'. Well, this should be interesting.

"What is it?" Iruka asked.

He noted Kakashi was almost at the bedroom door and suspicion began to creep its way into his head.

"You see," the masked man said while leaning lazily in the doorway and scratching at his neck bashfully, "I just can't decide which Icha Icha is best. Would you read them all and give me your opinion?"

The teacher was speechless. Kakashi flashed the one eyed smile and grinned so widely the mask visibly stretched. Iruka honestly thought he might explode.

"I have the whole set _plus_ the deluxe, un-cut copies of the motion pictures for _Paradise_ and _Violence_ if reading isn't your thing. _Tactics_, sadly, doesn't come out for another four months but if you're interested I'll reserve another ticket at the theatre for you."

Iruka exploded.

"You crazy-ass, perverted Jounin! I ask for something useful to do and you… If I ever get my hands on your deluxe bloody whatever I'll _burn it_!"

Kakashi held up his gloved hands defensively and the infuriating Jounin was still smiling at him.

"Now, now, don't knock it till you've tried it," he suggested happily.

"Ugh! Get out of here, you idiot." Iruka grabbed a pillow and threw it at the silver haired man as hard as he could.

The pillow flew half way across the room before landing on the carpet with a supremely pathetic _whump_. Iruka froze and all his anger dissipated as he stared at the feather stuffed lump in bewilderment. He'd thrown that with everything he had, at full health it would have just about taken out a wall, even heavily injured it should have still hit Kakashi. The Chuunin's head cocked to the side as he mentally went back over his actions. Had his fingers slipped or something? He knew he was weakened but surely not _that_ much.

Grabbing another pillow, Iruka threw it as hard as he could again. This one didn't even make it as far as the first without the anger fuelling his 'strength'. Iruka raised disbelieving eyes to the Jounin standing in the doorway and watching quietly. The look in that single grey eye fully confirmed his situation. Iruka was completely powerless.

"Oh," he breathed in realisation.

"It's alright, Iruka. It'll return."

"I... it'll take too long." He bit his lower lip as a sickening mixture of fear, frustration, disbelief, and hopelessness swirled in his chest. Taking a deep breath and swallowing thickly to try and force back the nausea that had hit him, Iruka locked gazes with Kakashi again. "I- I've got no chakra, no strength; I… there's _nothing_. How do I even defend myself until then?"

Kakashi walked across the room and stooped to pick up the pillows. "You don't," he answered in his calm, deep voice.

Iruka didn't even blink and he still missed any sign of movement. One moment the elite Jounin was half a room away – bent over and picking up the pathetic projectiles – and the next right in front of the startled teacher. Iruka jumped and gasped but Kakashi's was moving slowly again now he was so close. Lifting the pillows over Iruka's head, he lowered them to the mattress behind the injured sensei. Strong arms were either side of him and Iruka found he couldn't breathe as the masked face came so close they were almost nose to fabric covered nose. The grey eye bore into him, narrowed and completely serious.

"_I_ will protect you."

**End flashback.**

Iruka knew it was ridiculous to hope that Kakashi might be interested him but he couldn't help it. Iruka didn't discriminate when it came to attraction; it didn't bother him if it was a male or female. He was attracted to a person not their gender. He was most definitely attracted to Kakashi. Who wouldn't be? He'd found the Copy-nin physically appealing for years and staying with the man had intensified that attraction. The Jounin was kind and gentle, patient, funny, fun, and almost freakishly intelligent with a damn hot body to sweeten the package.

Iruka had seen Kakashi clad in only a pair of training pants and tight singlet with mask attachment a few times and it was one of the best views that had ever graced his eyes. Damn, those ANBU tattoos were sexy. Sadly for him, the Jounin was also as straight as they got. The rumours of his sexual conquests were always about women and ridiculously impressive. The women claiming to have slept with the man all reported that the mask either stayed on or Kakashi blindfolded his partner. Apparently, if you were smart you'd ask for the blindfold! The Copy Ninja had one hell of a fan base out there.

Still, the little actions over the past week meant that even if Kakashi wasn't interested in him sexually he cared as a friend. Curling up on his side and enjoying a nice long yawn, Iruka closed his eyes and drifted into sleep with a small smile on his face. Friends suited him just fine… even if he did have a little crush on his protector.

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**AN: A necessary development chapter. Hopefully all the time jumps didn't confuse anyone. **

**It actually took me awhile to get out of the mindset of an asshole Kakashi from 'Stranger Situations' and into the 'I love my Ruky-chan more than anything' mindset for this fiction. I've also given up trying to regulate the length of my chapters. I'm just getting down what seems to be right at the time. So, my darling readers (whom I love dearly) this means you'll be getting some awesomely long chappies and some pitifully short ones. Expect the unexpected! HAHA! **

**I'm not ashamed to admit that I was laughing while writing about the gathering on the bed! The mental images I had during this were just hilarious and adorable. It was such a temptation just to make the whole chapter a comedy but I had to get Iruka over the traumatic scene so we can move on. One of these chapters is going to be pure comedy one day, just me in a silly mood and trying to make you all wet yourselves with laughter. Did I make anyone else laugh with this chapter? I'd love to know!**


	13. Loving Gifts and the Reawakened Prankste

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I am wondering if anyone ever reads these comments though.**

**Edited 2010 and Kotetsu and Izumo have been switched back to Chuunin rank as I need them there for the sequel. Plans changed, sorry boys ^_^**

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 13: Loving Gifts and the Reawakened Prankster**

_Iruka had seen Kakashi clad in only a pair of training pants and tight singlet with mask attachment a few times and it was one of the best views that had ever graced his eyes. Damn, those ANBU tattoos were sexy. Sadly for him, the Jounin was also as straight as they got. The rumours of his sexual conquests were always about women and ridiculously impressive. The women claiming to have slept with the man all reported that the mask either stayed on or Kakashi blindfolded his partner. Apparently, if you were smart you'd ask for the blindfold! The Copy Ninja had one hell of a fan base out there._

_Still, the little actions over the past week meant that even if Kakashi wasn't interested in him sexually he cared as a friend. Curling up on his side and enjoying a nice long yawn, Iruka closed his eyes and drifted into sleep with a small smile on his face. Friends suited him just fine… even if he did have a little crush on his protector._

**…**

Leaning heavily on the back of a chair at the kitchen table, Iruka glared at his target and tried to slow his laboured breathing. A slight sheen of sweat was visible on his brow and the dark eyes were narrowed in concentration. The floor was cold beneath his bare feet and goosebumps rose on his chilled skin as he shivered. His legs were trembling with the effort to remain standing but the academy sensei was determined.

_I can do this. I know I can do this!_

Nothing would stop him. He would succeed, would triumph, and rise above this challenge to emerge victorious. Umino Iruka, would make it to the_ couch_!

The trip from the bedroom had been long and exhausting but he'd made through sheer, bloody-minded stubbornness. The day before, he'd only made it to the edge of the kitchen and collapsed on the floor leaning against the cupboard doors. It was a new day, however, and he'd made it a whole six steps further. His original goal had been to just reach the table but then the couch had started mocking him.

It taunted him with its deep, soft cushions and padded arms. It flaunted its superiority over the plain, wooden kitchen chair with its choice of three comfortable seats or the option to lie down and stretch out. It enticed him with its plush, deep blue flabric and the oh-so-cosy throw rug. Sure, there was a nice cushy armchair closer or the numerous plump floor cushions, but that Couch… it clearly thought its comfort rating above that needed by a humble teacher. Iruka would prove it wrong.

Looking away from it with a humph to show his indifference, Iruka allowed his eyes to travel the rest of the room. Kakashi really did have a beautiful home. Iruka had worked enough in the Mission Office to know the Jounin was given only the highest ranked missions and this had given him the means to live a very comfortable lifestyle. When one first met Kakashi, they could be forgiven for thinking he was a quirky, lazy pervert that had been unfairly blessed with an over abundance of intelligence, sex appeal, and combat talent. Since living with him, though, Iruka had learned that this was not the case at all.

The Copy Ninja was kind, funny, determined, and worked very hard to hone and perfect his skills. His fame and reputation left him somewhat lonely and isolated from the general village population and he cherished his friends that treated him as though he were just an average guy. Kakashi's home reflected his personality perfectly; it was spacious, comfortable, simple, and surprisingly welcoming. The two storey house was located towards the western edge of the village in a quiet block. The lower story was designed for living, consisting of a roomy kitchen, large lounge room, a study, two bedrooms, bathroom, and the laundry.

The lounge room was Iruka's favourite area of the house. He had been surprised and impressed by the bookcases built into the walls and containing a variety of written material from the latest in taijutsu manoeuvres to the Icha Icha collection. Books and scrolls alike cluttered the shelves and added to the homely feel of the room. The large stone fireplace, comfortable chairs, floor cushions, and fluffy rugs made the area somewhere one would want to sit down and relax. Off in the corner of the room was the simple wooden stair case connecting to the second storey.

When Iruka had asked Kakashi what was up stairs, the Jounin had instantly swept him off his feet (Iruka giving a very undignified yelp) and bound up them. The upper story was an open dojo. A scuffed, hardwood floor shone in the sunlight steaming through the floor to ceiling windows that made up the far wall. Thick moss-green curtains were open to allow the light in but would give complete privacy when drawn. Covering the wall to the right was a massive mirror the Kakashi could use to watch his technique and correct it. Along the back wall was the armoury and it was _impressive_. The vast collection of weapons and scrolls all showed evidence of hard use and attentive care. The room was stunning and the Chuunin hoped that when he was well enough Kakashi would permit him to use it to train. Either way, Iruka felt as though he'd been entrusted with something very personal and private.

Breaking from his musings and focusing narrowed eyes back on his afternoon objective, Iruka took a few deep breaths and strengthened his resolve. He was about to take a step towards his fabric covered foe when the lounge room window slid open and a tall figure landed gracefully in a crouch on the frame.

"Yo."

Damn it, he hadn't wanted Kakashi to catch him doing this. It was bad enough the Jounin had returned home the day before to find him passed out on the kitchen floor, now the silver haired shinobi would see him struggle to take ten steps to reach the couch. Oh well, nothing he could do about it and he was glad to see his friend. Iruka smiled and held up a hand in greeting.

"Hey, how's it going?"

The grey eye crinkled in a smile.

"Oh fine," Kakashi answered casually. "And where might you be off to?"

The younger man took a deep breath and stood up a little straighter before pointing disdainfully at the mocking piece of furniture.

"I am going to the couch," he proclaimed dramatically, struggling to keep a smile from his face.

The single eye crinkled a little more and there was definitely amusement in the deep voice. "Really?"

"Yes!" Iruka held up a clenched fist determinedly. "I am in the springtime of my youth and through vigorous hard work and determined tenacity I shall overcome this most un-hip of situations to _rise up_with youthful vigour and become a beautiful blossom in my modern springtime of bloominglyness."

_Or some such crap,_ he added mentally with a little nod of his head.

There was absolute silence. Kakashi stared at him horrified for a few moments before shaking his head and smoothly stepping down from the window ledge.

"Please don't do that," he shuddered, "it's scary."

"Yeah, it just doesn't have the same effect without a fiery sunset backdrop or manly tears," Iruka sighed wistfully. "Oh well, I'll just finish off with this."

He stuck up his thumb and flashed a big, dorky grin. That did it, the Jounin released a snort of laughter and Iruka chuckled at his accomplishment. He was about to threaten sparkles when something in the taller man's hand caught his attention.

"What's that?"

The Copy-nin dropped two very full calico bags on the couch and relaxed into his lazy slouch.

"Incentive."

"Huh? Incentive for what?"

"For you to reach the couch."

"They're for me?" Iruka asked surprised.

An affirmative hum from the Jounin had the teacher studying the bags across the room. Kakashi remained standing next to the couch with hands in pockets and the single eye smiling. A wave of self-consciousness passed over the younger man and his cheeks flushed. Iruka was more than willing to push his limits and complete his self imposed mission of reaching the couch, but it didn't mean he wanted the elite shinobi watching him as he staggered a few steps and looked like a weak idiot. He couldn't exactly ask Kakashi to leave, though, or not look, especially when the man had brought him something.

Kakashi suppressed a chuckle and decided to put the poor Chuunin out of his awkward misery. "I'm going to make a cup of tea. Want one?"

"Yes please!" The younger man flushed darker at his over enthusiastic reply.

Pretending not to notice, the Jounin walked past him into the kitchen. He could still see everything the teacher was doing but it gave Iruka a sense of privacy as Kakashi was now behind him.

Sucking in a deep breath and bracing himself, Iruka took his first step away from the kitchen table.

_I can do this, piece of cake! I'm just going to stroll over there and look through those bags._

The first two steps were slow but fine, the third sent a jolt of pain through his muscles that had him releasing a small hiss. He took another step and a second wave of pain shoot through his legs, worse than before. His temper flared and the Chuunin clenched his hands into fists.

_This is bullshit! It's just five more steps._

His foot had barely touched the ground when his muscles gave and knees buckled.

"Fuck."

Suddenly, there was a flurry of motion. Everything blurred before his eyes, something wrapped around his chest for the barest second, and next thing Iruka knew, he had landed on the couch with a little bounce. Looking wildly around the room, he tried to process what had just happened.

"What the?"

Had he phased out and made it here on auto-pilot? Performed some strange no-chakra-required jutsu? Suddenly awakened an unknown blood limit? Walked into a temporal distortion of the space-time continuum?

"Oh, well done. You made it."

The very confused man looked up to see Kakashi walking out of the kitchen with two steaming cups of tea and everything fell into place.

"You did it!" he yelled, pointing an accusing finger.

"Did what?" the older man asked, single grey eye looking far too innocent.

Iruka grinned, for some reason the Copy-nin trying to look innocent always made him smile. The tea cups were set on the low table and Kakashi took a seat on one of the floor cushions. The teacher still couldn't figure out how the Jounin managed to make flopping down cross-legged look so damn elegant. A half gloved hand waved in the direction of the cream toned bags.

"Well, aren't you going to have a look?"

"Am I allowed? I didn't make it here on my own so haven't really earned the right," Iruka said with a cheeky smile.

He really did enjoy the banter that flowed between them so easily. The silver haired man tipped his head back and scratched at his chin, pretending to assess the situation.

"Well, you did make it ten and a half steps further than yesterday. I think that deserves a reward."

The academy sensei chuckled and wagged a finger at the Jounin. "You should be careful, you're spoiling me absolutely rotten."

"How terrible."

The two men chuckled and Iruka reached for the first bag.

"I'm giving you fair warning, if there's porn in here I don't care how much my muscles hurt, I'll chase you clear to the Hokage Mountain and pound your senseless."

The silver head cocked to the side. "Shouldn't you buy me dinner first, sensei?"

The tanned cheeks flushed as Iruka realised the implications behind what he'd just said. Damn perverted Jounin, twisting his words. Pulling a bag onto his lap, he looked inside and blinked in surprise.

"Clothes? You bought me clothes?"

Kakashi smiled and rested his chin on the palm of a hand, leaning his elbow on his knee, and watched his Chuunin happily. The bag was packed full of various garments. Pulling out each piece and examining it one by one, Iruka could only conclude that he was delighted with the Jounin's choices. There was almost an exact replica of his outfit from the day of the battle – a soft white shirt and low slung, loose jeans – a white t-shirt and two long sleeve tops in dusky green and charcoal followed. Another pair of jeans, dark blue this time, came out next and Iruka began to wonder just how many clothes were stuffed into the one bag. Some pale grey pyjama pants preceded a few sets of thick socks and a pair of khaki cargos. Iruka was a big fan of cargo pants as extra pockets to store exploding tags and weapons when dressed casually were always a good thing. Finally, out of the bag came a thick, black hooded jacket.

Iruka was speechless, his lips parted slightly in amazement as he fingered the garments on his lap. All the clothes were of excellent quality, it was obvious Kakashi had gone to a lot of trouble and expense in choosing them. Sitting on his lap was the makings of a whole new wardrobe. Wide, dark eyes rose to meet a smiling slate grey. The Jounin hadn't moved from his comfortable position and he looked even happier than before.

"You like?" Kakashi asked.

Iruka nodded and had to clear his throat before attempting to talk.

"They're great, Kakashi, what I would have chosen for myself. I can't believe you went shopping for me." He blushed bashfully and fingering the wonderfully soft material of the jacket again. "I'll have to repay you for this when I can get to a bank. Thank you so much for the trouble you've gone to."

Kakashi's eye crinkled further and he swapped arms to lean on.

"You still have another bag to go yet."

Iruka shifted his gaze to the second calico carrier and couldn't imagine what else there was he needed. He carefully set aside his new clothing before pulling the other bag onto his lap. Looking inside he let out a bark of laughter at the first item. Pulling out the bundle of underwear, he turned a huge grin on the Copy Ninja.

"You bought me underwear!" Dissolving into a fit of laughter, Iruka collapsed against the arm of the couch.

A deep laughter joined his and Kakashi couldn't take his eyes off the gorgeous man, laughing joyfully, and surrounded by gifts from him. It was a sight he knew he'd never forget, the dark eyes gazing into his and sparkling with mirth.

In a bid to make Iruka laugh even harder, Kakashi leaned forward and told the Chuunin in a confidential tone, "I can honestly say, Iruka, that you are the first person I've ever bought lingerie for."

Unexpectedly, this didn't set the Chuunin off in another fit of laughter. Instead, the chocolate eyes widened before looking away and the laughter turned into more of a self-conscious chuckle as a deep blush bloomed across the scared nose and cheeks.

_What's this? Did I embarrass him or… No way!_

Kakashi's heart gave a hard thump. Was Iruka attracted to him? Or was he just imagining things, taking any little sign that could give hope? He'd have to carefully test these waters, if the younger man wasn't attracted to him and he was too obvious in his flirting it might affect their future friendship. A small voice was still squealing in glee in the back of his head, though.

Oh crap, the look the Kakashi was giving him was way too assessing. Damn his stupid blush! Damn it, damn it, damn it! Stupid blood rushing to his face at the worst possible moment, he'd have to distract Kakashi quickly. Plunging his hand back into the bag, Iruka was surprised when he pulled out bottles of his favourite shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel. All were sandalwood – the earthy scent that he tended to favour – but the brand the Jounin had bought him was quite expensive and Iruka would only occasionally treat himself to it.

"How did you know to get these?" Iruka asked, much of his panic forgotten in his surprise and curiosity.

Kakashi casually shrugged a shoulder. "You always smell like sandalwood."

And the blush was threatening to make a comeback. He forced the blood to stay out of his face through pure willpower. Maito Gai would have been so impressed by the internal control it had taken. All that was left in the bag was a plain, flat box and a large brown paper wrapped bundle stamped with the Konoha leaf design. He'd recognise that bundle anywhere. Ripping the paper off, he shook out two new standard issue uniforms and a pair of sandals fell to the rug. It was such a pleasure to have something so familiar back in his possession and at least he knew that Kakashi hadn't had to pay for these particular items.

"Hey, thanks for picking these up. Hopefully, I'll be back in them soon," he said with a smile.

"There's a new vest getting decked out for you, Genma's going to drop it off later. I'm sure once you're less tired you'll be able to pull a few shifts at the Mission Office until your stamina's back to normal. From what I hear, they're really missing you there. It's been chaos without you around to scare people into submission."

That thought cheered Iruka up as he pulled the last item from the bag. "It'd be good getting back to work. I miss being useful," he said as he slipped the lid off the box.

Looking down, what was inside had the teacher gasping and the smile changing to a stunned gape. It was a yukata and it was _stunning_. Pulling the garment partially out of the tissue paper it was wrapped in, Iruka was speechless. The fabric was an incredible shade of moss green and around the cuffs curled embroidered vines done in bronze thread. A finely striped moss and forest green obi completed the robe.

It was beautiful and obviously not just off the rack, it was excellent quality and obviously very expensive. Stunned eyes rose to the still smiling Copy-nin. Iruka knew he would have to pay the shinobi back but he didn't have the money to afford a fine yukata like the one in his hands, especially not when he had so much to replace. He had a whole life to rebuild and that didn't come cheap, he should know as he'd done it _twice_.

"Kakashi, I-"

A half gloved hand was raised in the universal sign used in the field for silence and Iruka automatically shut his mouth as any Chuunin would when given that signal by a Jounin.

"Before you say anything, everything that came out of those two bags is a gift. You owe me nothing."

"_What_? You can't be serious. Kakashi," Iruka carefully placed the yukata back in its box and leaned towards the man on the floor, "all of this would have been very expensive, I can't ask you to spend that much on-"

Once again, Kakashi motioned for silence and Iruka cut off his words. Damn his training and damn the Jounin for using it against him. However, the single grey eye was no longer smiling, it was sincere and very serious.

"You have _nothing_, Iruka. You've lost the irreplaceable and what you can replace is going to cost you a whole lot of money. Those are gifts from a friend who wants to help you and I won't accept any form of payment for them, they're given freely. Even the vest coming later is getting fully decked out with equipment payed for by your comrades who miss you and want to help you get back on your feet," Kakashi said in a gentle but firm voice.

While he'd been talking, Iruka had dropped his gaze. The dark eyes were pained and staring at hands clasped tightly in his lap, the strands that had escaped from the Chuunin's low ponytail helped hide his face. Kakashi could still plainly see that the teacher was upset.

"This isn't pity or charity, there are a lot of people out there that care about you and are incredibly grateful for what you scarified in the battle. You did an incredible job protecting your village and we respect you for it. I know you're normally the one sacrificing and helping others but for now you're the one in need, let us help you like you would us. Iruka?"

A tear splashed on the entwined fingers and the injured shinobi swallowed audibly, he didn't raise his head but spoke quietly down at his hands.

"Why are you doing this? We were never more than acquaintances before the battle but now it's like you're one of my closest friends. I need to know if this is just because of orders from the Hokage. We don't move in the same circles and it just doesn't make sense that an elite would bother with-"

"You think far too little of yourself," the deep voice interrupted him. "You know this isn't Tsunade's orders. I like you Iruka," I_n so many ways_, "and to be honest I have for years. The opportunity for us to get to know each other better just never came up before. As far as I'm concerned, having you here is the only good thing that came out of that fight."

There was a small sniff and Iruka slipped off the couch to kneel in front of the Jounin. Kakashi's breath caught in his lungs as his Chuunin reached out and hugged him tightly, pressing his face into the neck guard of his vest. Kakashi paused for an infinitesimal moment in surprise before clutching the younger man and pulling him close.

"Thank you," Iruka whispered in a broken voice and the Jounin knew it was for so much more than the clothes.

**…**

"So what's for dinner?" Genma asked, flopping down on the couch next to Iruka and wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

Kakashi frowned at the senbon suckers close proximity to his Chuunin but Iruka didn't seem to be interested in Genma at all. Instead the teacher dislodged the Tokubetsu Jounin's arm when he threw his hands in the air and happily announced, "Stew!"

The Copy-nin smiled at his enthusiasm, Iruka could finally stomach solid foods and had been ecstatic when Kakashi had announced he was making the stew again for dinner. The masked smile widened to a grin when Genma complained about having his arm so uncaringly thrown off and Iruka gave the man a bored look and continued to pack his clothes back into their bags.

Soon after their shared moment that afternoon, Iruka had crawled back onto the couch and fallen asleep on his pile of new clothes. Kakashi hadn't been able to resist uncovering the sharingan and recording the moment. _His _love safely asleep in _his _home on top of gifts from _him_. Perfect. That image would help warm him on cold missions. He'd tucked the throw rug around the teacher and left him to rest, lighting the fire to warm the house against the encroaching winter chill.

Genma had arrived ten minutes earlier with Iruka's new vest and some gifts. The folk at the Mission Office hadn't skimped. The Chuunin had become the proud owner of whole new sets of kunai, scrolls, sharpening stones, ointments, medical kits, shuriken, senbon – poisoned and un-poisoned courtesy of their visitor – and everything else an active shinobi could possibly need. Accompanying the collection was a brand new katana, a gift from the Hokage herself. A note from the Godaime had been tucked into the sheath.

_Iruka, _

_Seems no one in this village but you can control these Jounin. Hurry up and heal so you can come and control some of this chaos, damn brats are driving me insane. On a serious note, you are not to commence any duties until _I_ have cleared you for work. Come see me in a week for a check up or before if you need. Get lots of sleep, that's an order._

_Tsunade_

The katana had been whipped from its sheath and the fine craftsmanship admired. Kakashi had readily agreed to Iruka's request that he help the Chuunin break it in with a spar when well enough. As if he'd pass up the opportunity to get all sweaty and physical with the teacher. Kakashi had actually had a few ideas regarding Iruka's training while injured.

He turned to the teacher. "I've been thinking-"

"Did you strain something?" Genma quipped sarcastically.

Iruka gave a small laugh and the silver haired man was almost offended but then the teacher followed up with a sarcastic comment of his own. "You know, my pre-genin make that exact same joke and think it's terribly clever. You were saying, Kakashi?"

"Thank you, Iruka. I was saying that a good way to start your training again would be with stealth exercises. I think you should try to catch me unaware… _try_ being the operative word here."

That would get the Chuunin's competitive streak going. Kakashi smirked and knew that Iruka would be glaring and giving him a verbal beating within a matter of moments. To his growing interest, the younger man just smirked back and nodded.

"You're on," he agreed.

_Why do I have a bad feeling about this?_ Thought Kakashi.

_You're so dead_. Iruka smirked internally. _Time to design some new traps._

The reawakened prankster almost rubbed his hands in glee. Dinner was ready and Iruka stood up to make his way over, leaning on Genma's offered arm for support.

"Plenty of new clothes for you, I see," the Tokubetsu Jounin commented. "Sick of wearing Kakashi-san's stuff and smelling like a dog?"

"He doesn't smell like a dog," Iruka scolded, recalling the pale man's minty scent, "and I think it's likely the other way around. You must be sick of me wearing your stuff constantly, Kakashi."

The Chuunin couldn't be more wrong, there was something down right sexy about seeing the younger man in his clothes. However, Kakashi understood Iruka's need to have his own possessions, thus the shopping trip. Having the cinnamon skinned man covered in his scent was just deliciously possessive, though.

"Not at all. You'll still need to borrow some things, you don't exactly possess a full wardrobe yet," the silver haired Jounin said.

Kakashi hadn't bought too much clothing for a reason, he still wanted to see that gorgeous teacher wearing his clothes some of the time.

"Yeah," Iruka agreed, holding onto the back of the chair for the second time that day as Genma helped Kakashi carry over some plates and glasses, "I'll have to eat more so I can fit into the clothes again." Unthinkingly, he lifted up the bottom of his shirt to reveal a stretch of stomach and the Kakashi's black drawstring pants riding dangerously low on his hips. Both the able shinobi gawked. "I've lost so much weight these pants feel like they're going to fall off any second."

The kitchen was filled with the sound of breaking glass. The sensei was too unconsciously sexy for his own damn good.

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**AN: Had to add that last little bit, the plot bunnies demanded it. I know nothing too exciting happened in this chapter but it was necessary to further develop locations and characters. You'll understand why in the future. I really should have done this sooner but there was too much other fun stuff to write. You can call this one the calm before the storm ^_^. Next chapter we'll be back to thickening plots and investigations for your entertainment.**

**I just want to say… WOW! You all rock out like a landslide! The last chapter pulled the most reviews yet and I bow down to say thank you to all.**

***Bows down* Thank you.**

**I love reading your comments and I hope you will write to me again. I really am blown away for the support for this story and my other one **_**Stranger Situations**_**.**

**What? What do you mean I'm shamelessly advertising my other story? I'd never! **


	14. Ticklish Chuunin and Uncovered Enemies

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I have scored a peek at Kakashi's face though!**

**Edited in 2010 with **_**flair**_**.**

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 14: Ticklish Chuunin and Uncovered Enemies**

_Kakashi hadn't bought too much clothing for a reason, he still wanted to see that gorgeous teacher wearing his clothes some of the time._

_"Yeah," Iruka agreed, holding onto the back of the chair for the second time that day as Genma helped Kakashi carry over some plates and glasses, "I'll have to eat more so I can fit into the clothes again." Unthinkingly, he lifted up the bottom of his shirt to reveal a stretch of stomach and the Kakashi's black drawstring pants riding dangerously low on his hips. Both the able shinobi gawked. "I've lost so much weight these pants feel like they're going to fall off any second."_

_The kitchen was filled with the sound of breaking glass. The sensei was too unconsciously sexy for his own damn good._

**…**

The steady tingle of chakra on his skin had Iruka screwing up his face and trying to suppress a laugh. It was incredibly ticklish and he had to fight the urge to squirm as Tsunade's hands moved over his naked stomach. Normally, he wouldn't hold back but he was very tickilish and couldn't run the risk of his laugh sounding like a giggle. There was _no way in hell_ he would giggle in front of the Hokage and Copy Ninja.

If he thought his stomach had been unbearable then his ribs were torture! The manicured nails glided gently over his rib cage and Iruka squeezed his eyes shut, trying desperately not to react to their ticklish touch. The fingers finally moved to his back where it was less sensitive and the Chuunin opened his eyes to see Kakashi watching him from across the room with amusement dancing in his grey eye. The Jounin knew exactly what the younger man was going through and Iruka frowned at him. Well, frowned as best he could while trying to suppress his laughter. He probably came out looking somewhat constipated.

"Are you almost done, Tsunade-sama?" Iruka asked as steadily as he could, forcing a laugh to stay down.

"Oh, I was done awhile ago. I just wanted to see how long you could hold back that giggle for," the blond woman answered with amusement evident in her voice.

With a quick flutter of fingers, red painted nails danced down the bruised ribs causing Iruka to let out something between a yelp and a snort of laugher and jerk away from the ticklish touch. Both his seniors chuckled at the reaction and the Chuunin flushed slightly with embarrassment. It was ridiculous for a shinobi to be ticklish but he couldn't help it, he'd always had sensitive skin.

"I'm happy with your progress, you're recovering well and it's excellent you're onto solid foods already. However, I'm not happy with how hard you've been pushing yourself. You need more sleep," the buxom woman told him firmly, her hands planted on hips in a no-nonsense manner.

Iruka gaped at her. "But, all I do is sleep. If I sleep anymore you might as well diagnose me as being in a coma."

"I know you, Iruka." A painted nail was wagged in front of his nose. "You'd feel exhausted and still force yourself to stay awake because you think you should be recovered and back on full duty by now. Am I right?" she asked Kakashi over her shoulder.

"Yes Hokage-sama," the Jounin answered, eye crinkled in a smile.

"And I bet Kakashi's has been telling you to sleep and you've been arguing with him, haven't you?" she demanded of the shifty eyed Chuunin.

"Maybe," Iruka muttered, looking at his feet.

"I thought so," Tsunade chirped as she walked over to the medical cabinet in the corner of her office.

Iruka lifted his gaze and mouthed 'traitor' at Kakashi who responded by continuing to smile at him and slouching against the wall uncaringly with hands in pockets.

"You've been assigned to Kakashi for a reason, sensei. He knows his shit when it comes to recovery from chakra depletion. So, you should listen to him. If not for him you'd be healing with stiches in you and sharing a hospital room with five other people." Tsunade looked over at the Jounin and smiled. "I'm actually very impressed with your healing skills, brat. You did one hell of a job putting his shoulder back together and mending those broken ribs. You must have used a heck of a lot of chakra to heal all those gashes without leaving so much as a scar."

Iruka was completely flabbergasted. "Y-you healed me?"

"Well, Tsunade-sama rejoined all the tricky bits in your shoulder, I just did the rest," Kakashi drawled as he watched Iruka stare at him in stunned amazement as the teacher ran his hand over the unblemished skin of his left shoulder.

Kakashi had deliberately put a lot of effort into making sure there were no scars left from the battle. He didn't want Iruka to have the constant reminders of his brush with death and that evil bastard. Also, Kakashi didn't want to see the scars on his Chuunin and remember how he'd almost lost him.

"Once you've retired from active duty maybe I'll make you a medic," the Hokage said, either oblivious to or choosing not to interject on the private conversation the two men were having with their eyes.

"Maa, I've already made lucrative plans for my retirement," the Copy Ninja drawled.

"Really, do share." The Hokage smirked as she walked back to Iruka, pulled out his hair tie, and tilted his head forward to check the bruising to the back of his skull.

Kakashi watched as Iruka was forced to break eye contact and a thick curtain of dark hair fell hid his face. "I'm going to charge exorbitant amounts of money for a chance to peek at my face."

Iruka chuckled but Tsunade's head shot up and she looked at the masked man with very interested eyes. "Really? How much?"

"Hokage-sama, don't tell me you've never seen his face. You treat him when he's unconscious," Iruka laughed thinking she was joking.

"Are you kidding?" Tsunade exclaimed. "The one time I did try and sneak a peek, I'd only just touched the top of his mask and he almost broke my hand off. And he was completely out of it with chakra depletion and blood loss! The only people I've heard of that have even gotten close to seeing his face are the ramen stand owners and that was while he had a mouth full of noodles. It's still enough to make young Ayame swoon every time someone mentions it. Hell, even old Teuchi blushes."

"Can't you just order him to take off his mask?" the Chuunin asked.

"Tried that once too and the little shit threatened to defect," she grumbled miserably and continued her inspection of Iruka's skull. "Could you imagine trying to add him to the bingo book with all his jutsu collection? I don't know how other countries manage it."

Kakashi gave a deep, slightly sadistic chuckle. Iruka grinned up at him through his hair and shared the Jounin's dark humour. The Hokage, though, gave a sudden gasp of realisation and hurried around in front of the injured man, grasping him by the shoulders.

"Iruka, you've been living with him for the last few weeks. You must have seen something!"

Iruka just shook his head and smiled apologetically. "Nope, he keeps his face covered at all times even at home."

"And even if he did see, Iruka's not the type to kiss and tell," Kakashi added flirtatiously.

The academy teacher blushed as Tsunade gave a sharp bark of laughter and shot a knowing smirk at the Copy-nin. Fishing into her pocket, the medical specialist pulled out a jar of ointment and threw it to the Jounin. "Massage once a day and add some chakra to the mix."

Iruka's blush darkened considerably at the idea of Kakashi's hands all over his body and the silver haired shinobi cackled internally with dark glee, barely resisting the urge to kiss the jar of ointment. He had permission from the Hokage to molest his Chuunin. Excellent!

"You're all done, sensei, get dressed. You need more sleep," Tsunade told him firmly before turning to Kakashi. "If he argues with you again you have permission to hit him with a sleep jutsu. You must have at least a couple stashed away in that head of yours."

"_What_?" Iruka protested while pulling his shirt back on and reaching for his new black jacket.

"I'm sure I do," Kakashi said casually. He would never use one against Iruka, though. The younger man's trust meant everything to him and he wouldn't lose it over something so trivial.

"Good, mind demonstrating for me?"

Unless he was ordered to by his Hokage, that is. It was a crappy situation to be placed in but Kakashi knew that Tsunade wouldn't request it unless she had a good reason. Seeing as he could sense Gai and Sasuke's chakra patterns in the room, it was obvious what was afoot. They needed the teacher unconscious so they could talk privately but not knowing why he was being placed in that state. Thus, she ordered it in the guise of a joke. As his favourite saying went: seeing underneath the underneath.

Standing from his chair, Iruka was looking both wary and defensive. He did not like the idea of being knocked out for a joke. He was defenceless enough as it was and to have people casually hitting him with random jutsu was, well, frightening. He couldn't block, dodge, or counter attack and to stand still and just accept it hurt his pride. Iruka knew it was Kakashi and trusted that the Jounin wouldn't hurt him; however, it still felt degrading.

"Please, Tusnade-sama, there's no need for that. You've ordered me to rest and I will. I don't need to be induced; I'm tired enough as it is."

The village leader walked over and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. One look into her amber eyes and Iruka knew he hadn't fooled her for a second, that woman knew exactly how he was feeling.

"Iruka, this isn't about making you feel defenceless or weak, I want to see how Kakashi's jutsu works. I put people under using sedatives and a jutsu would come in very handy if I was in the field without the necessary medical supplies. You and Kakashi know each other and it takes a lot of trust to stand compliant while someone knocks you out and looks after your body." She gave Iruka a speculative look. "Of course, if you don't trust Kakashi to-"

"No!" Iruka interrupted her quickly and then blushed at his rudeness. "Please excuse my interruption, Hokage-sama. I trust Kakashi completely and have no objection to this."

Tsunade smirked. "That's good because I was going to make him do it anyway."

Iruka wasn't really surprised by that and. Kakashi approached him and amused brown eyes locked with the single grey.

"Ready?" the Jounin asked.

"Yeah. Do you want me to lie down or sit somewhere?" Iruka rubbed at his scar uncertainly and glanced around the room for an unobtrusive location to be knocked out.

"You're fine as you are," Kakashi assured him in a gentle voice.

"At least if I hit the ground I won't be able to tell the new bruises," Iruka grinned, knowing the Jounin would catch him long before he got anywhere close to the rug they were standing on.

Kakashi chuckled and flashed through some hand signs that Tsunade watched attentively. "Sweet dreams," Kakashi murmured and touched two fingers lightly to the Chuunin's forehead.

The dark eyes became dazed before heavy lids closed and Iruka collapsed with a sigh. Kakashi caught the limp body easily and settled the Chuunin carefully in his arms as Gai and Sasuke dropped their concealing jutsu and stepped from the shadows.

"Couldn't you have waited until after I'd taken him home?" Kakashi asked, slightly peeved he'd been forced to use a jutsu against the teacher but also pleased that Iruka had trusted him enough to let him.

Tsunade sent him a look that spoke volumes. "And what? Wait three hours until you dragged your lazy arse back here?" She snorted at the very idea.

Kakashi figured that was a fair enough call and he got to stand there cuddling Iruka while she gave them an update. Already it was the best briefing he'd ever been to. The teacher shifted slightly in his arms and Kakashi glanced down to check on him. Iruka looked younger with his face completely relaxed, his still too thin body cuddled up in the thick jacket.

"Ibiki broke Morioka," Tsunade said, drawing Kakashi's attention again.

Morioka Taro was the weasel summoner. Morioka had returned from his mission the day before and had been snatched by himself and Gai before re-entering the village. For all Morioka's friends knew he was just a little late getting back from his mission, nothing unusual. The two ANBU had delivered the man to the Torture and Interrogation department where a quick search had revealed the shuriken tattoo on his left heel. Last Kakashi had seen him, Morioka was strapped to a chair, deathly white, and looking terrified. Ibiki must not have held back for the man to have confessed already.

"It turns out this plot runs deeper than we originally thought, it is no small group of shinobi that have been bribed to supply information to our enemies." The Hokage's whole manner was one of deep anger, her amber eyes narrowed and a dark scowl on her usually smooth features. "The conspirators are highly placed politically and have some very talented shinobi fighting for their cause. Enough information is now known to move on those who have decided to betray our village."

"Who is it, Tsunade-sama?" Gai demanded lowly, his usual joyous countenance completely gone with the gravity of the situation.

"Danzo Shimura and some former members of his disbanded Root division."

Kakashi's grip tightened unconsciously on the slumbering teacher, pressing Iruka closer to his chest. The Jounin was sure that if he hadn't been holding his precious person at that moment, if his Chuunin hadn't been safe and warm in his arms, he would have quite likely destroyed something to alleviate his rage. He didn't even want to contemplate what he would have done if Iruka had died in that battle. Instead, the Copy-nin took strength from the sleeping man's warmth, letting it centre and calm him. Iruka was probably the only person alive that could do that, even unconscious. Kakashi suspected that was exactly why Tsunade hadn't let him take the academy sensei home first, so he would be here to keep Kakashi steady when this news was divulged.

"You should have let me kill that man years ago," Kakashi growled.

"I know," Tsunade sat on the edge of her desk and folded her arms beneath her ample bosom, "but years ago I didn't think it was the right thing to do. In his own disturbed way, Danzo has always been loyal to Konoha and done what he thought was best for it. I thought that after I'd ordered the disbanding of Root he might have… hindsight's a bitch," she muttered more to herself than any of the men in the room.

The single grey eye was focused on her, its depth as hard and cold as iron. "We are going to kill him this time, aren't we?"

"Oh yes," the Hokage sighed. "This time he's gone too far… far too far. You're not the only team I've had investigating this situation. I've had other squads making a list of all the shinobi in this village that possess the shuriken tattoo and keeping them under surveillance. In total, we're looking at twenty five traitors, nineteen of which are Root trained. All the shinobi on the list were conveniently absent during the attack."

Standing, Tsunade approached Kakashi and looked down at the sleeping teacher. Raising a hand, she brushed long strands of dark hair away from the nasty bruising finally starting to lighten on the side of his face.

"I will not allow any more of my people to be hurt because these bastards have a lust for power." Her eyes were narrowed and alight with anger as she stepped away from the slumbering teacher and fixed her ANBU team with a hard stare. "Ibiki is in the process of extracting the information on their plot from Morioka, what their ultimate plan is will determine how this situation is dealt with. Whatever that decision is, we are taking action tomorrow. All of you go home and rest tonight, I want you at full fighting fitness." The three men inclined their heads in understanding. "Dismissed."

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**AN: I can not tell you how unsatisfied I am with this chapter. Please excuse its poorness, my writers block was absolutely killer. At least I know what I want to achieve for the next three chapters so they shouldn't take as long as this one did.**

**So I need you fabulous readers to make a decision for me. I have two endings in mind for this story and the majority vote rules. Ready?**

**1) I make it only one story, which is going to end up quite long but not quite as in-depth as I could take it.**

**2) I make it a two part series, focusing on KakaIru naturally. I have the title for the next set already picked out and I've also got the makings of a GaaraxLee spin-off fic.**

**I'm personally leaning towards option two but I'll leave the final decision up to you all. Which option do you choose?**


	15. Snobbish Tutors and Protective Brothers

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I did teach Gai how to play the bagpipes though.**

**Edited 2010 because Ebisu calls Kakashi 'kun' in the anime and it cracks me up ^_^**

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 15: Snobbish Tutors and Protective Brothers**

_Standing, Tsunade approached Kakashi and looked down at the sleeping teacher. Raising a hand, she brushed long strands of dark hair away from the nasty bruising finally starting to lighten on the side of his face._

_"I will not allow any more of my people to be hurt because these bastards have a lust for power." Her eyes were narrowed and alight with anger as she stepped away from the slumbering teacher and fixed her ANBU team with a hard stare. "Ibiki is in the process of extracting the information on their plot from Morioka, what their ultimate plan is will determine how this situation is dealt with. Whatever that decision is, we are taking action tomorrow. All of you go home and rest tonight, I want you at full fighting fitness." The three men inclined their heads in understanding. "Dismissed."_

**…**

Of all the things that could have happened when the three Jounin exited Tsunade's office, being accosted by an angry Ebisu in the corridor never even occurred to them as a possibility. But that is exactly what happened. The former private tutor of the Sandamie's grandson marched right up to the three men and stopped in front of Kakashi with hands planted on hips. A frown marred his bespectacled face as Ebisu drew in a deep breath and puffed out his chest while narrowing his eyes at the Copy Ninja.

"I must insist that you relinquish your role as Iruka-sensei's carer to me immediately and without causing an unnecessary commotion," Ebisu declared.

Of all the things that Kakashi was expecting Ebisu to say, that scenario had never occurred to him as being within the realms of possibility. Judging by the expressions on his two companions' faces, they hadn't been expecting it either. It seemed the day was one destined to be full of surprises. Considering the meeting they'd just had with the Hokage and how Kakashi was still quietly seething at Danzo's treachery, Kakashi decided that for once he would not play games or take the bored approach.

The single grey eye narrowed. "No," Kakashi answered in a low, no-nonsense tone and went to step around the man.

Instead of backing away as expected, Ebisu followed the movement and blocked the path of the Copy-nin and his unconscious charge.

"This is not a request, Kakashi-kun, I am _insisting_. I believe it is in Iruka-sensei's best interest to be placed in the care of someone more reputable," the Tokubetsu Jounin said firmly. "It is not doing the good sensei's reputation any favours being placed in a position where he is forced to be associated with someone of your particular habits." Raising a hand to adjust his glasses, Ebisu smirked. "Not that I'm criticising your abilities in the battle field, I acknowledge they are quite first-rate. However, it is your activities whilst off duty that is cause for concern. Iruka-sensei's good name runs the risk of become sullied and as a fellow comrade and teacher who respects the excellent contribution he makes to the village, I believe I am the more appropriate person to take on the role as caregiver for the duration of his recovery. As I understand it, he has no possessions in need of collection so please hand him over now."

As Ebisu finished his speech with a confirming little nod of his head and held out his arms to accept the sleeping Chuunin – confident that Kakashi would see reason and relinquish his charge – the three Jounin stared at him in silence. Gai looked surprised and baffled at the audacity of the dark haired man and Sasuke had one eyebrow raised in an expression that clearly said he thought Ebisu was a moron. Kakashi was feeling conflicted; he wasn't sure whether to kill Ebisu or start laughing. The man was actually expecting him to meekly hand over _his_ Chuunin just because he didn't have the most upstanding reputation in the village? _Never_.

How would Iruka have felt regaining consciousness in a strange location after trusting Kakashi to place him in such a defenceless state? To discover that he'd been handed over to someone new without his permission or knowledge? It would never happen; there was no way Kakashi would allow it. Iruka was _his_ to care for, _his_ to protect during the teacher's time of greatest vulnerability. Kakashi would never hand his Chuunin over to anyone and his grip tightened on the sleeping man slouched limply in his arms.

"Ebisu-san, while your youthful wish to care for a fellow comrade is most chivalrous I do not believe your reasoning in this case is valid," Gai spoke up. "The lady Tsunade herself ordered Kakashi to care for the good sensei and my most hip rival has been doing an excellent-"

"This is of no concern to you, Gai-san, please do notinterfere. I will speak with Tsunade-sama most promptly after Kakashi-kun here relinquishes his hold on Iruka-sensei. I have no doubt she will agree fully with my actions and reasoning, especially in light of Iruka-sensei's current condition. It is _obvious _he should not even be out of bed!"

Gai began to explain that Tsunade had actually called Iruka in for a check-up but Kakashi cut the taijutsu master off.

"I completely agree with you there, I keep him in my bed as much as possible when we're alone at home together. We were on our way back now when the disembodied posterior of an equid appeared to block the corridor and has since prevented us from leaving. I trust it will remove itself from our path before I have to," the Copy Ninja stated flatly.

The look of absolute affront that crossed Ebisu's face at the insult was priceless. The Tokubetsu Jounin straightened to his full height; hands previously held out expectantly were clenched into fists at the ends of ramrod straight arms. All in all, the effect was something akin to a very pissed off beanpole. Kakashi had a small internal chuckle; the entire situation really was laughable.

That was until Iruka gave a small moan in his sleep, raised a hand to clutch weakly at Kakashi's vest, and pressed further into the warmth of his body. The entire scene was one of heart warming vulnerability, dependency, and trust. It was as if Iruka subconsciously knew someone was trying to take him away from Kakashi and he was trying hold onto the silver haired Jounin. Even through the hard thump of his heart, Kakashi registered Ebisu's reaction to Iruka's movement. While there was no change in the tension of the Tokubetsu Jounin, the shaded eyes fixed down on the sleeping Chuunin as a light blush dusted across high cheek bones and Ebisu unconsciously wet his lips with his tongue.

Scratch the previous laughter option, Kakashi was going to _kill_ him.

Iruka's reputation had nothing, or very little, to do with Ebisu's desire to take him. The unmitigated arse wanted to take the teacher because he wanted to get into Iruka's pants! And in Iruka's condition, if Ebisu decided to force the issue the Chuunin wouldn't be able to stop him. That would be if Iruka was even conscious enough to know what was happening. When the injured man passed out from over exerting himself he was completely dead to the world and defenceless. Shit, he was completely defenceless fully conscious and with temper flaring!

Kakashi released a low, deep throated growl as waves of raw anger blanketed the corridor. Ebisu showed the first signs of intelligence since stopping their departure and took a step back from the furious Copy Ninja. Not far enough back, though.

A series of events happened simultaneously. In an incredibly fast move that completely belied the awkwardness of carrying another person, Kakashi dropped down low, spun, and swept out a leg. Both of Ebisu's legs were knocked out from underneath him before he even realised the elite Jounin had moved. Ebisu landed on his back with a satisfyingly hard _thump_, his glasses going spinning across the floor. As this was occurring, the corridor was also filled with the popping sounds of the teleportation jutsu.

Flushing with indignation, Ebisu sat up quickly and opened his mouth to yell at the silver haired Jounin only for the words to become lodged in his throat. Right in front of his eyes was a massive black furry face. The large jowls lifted and sharp, shining white fangs emerged from the dark fur as a _very_ deep growl rumbled the huge dog's throat. Ebisu froze.

"What are you all doing here?" Kakashi asked his ninken, who were scattered through out the hall way.

Pakun was sitting on Bull's back and turned droopy brown eyes up to his master, "Your chakra spiked like crazy so we thought we'd come check on Iruka. What's going on?"

"Who's the skinny one?" Urushi asked, cocking his head at the very nervous looking man on the floor.

Before Kakashi could answer, a panicked voice came from under the large, black mass of Bull.

"Kakashi, call off your dog!"

Bull's growl increased in volume. "I am perfectly capable of determining when to back off myself," the dog snapped before the black head pressed further forwards, forcing Ebisu to lean back on his elbows and – in doggy body language – putting him in a position where he was definitely submissive. "You the one causing trouble, eh? Iruka's _pack_, you cause trouble for him and you have trouble with us."

Ebisu started spluttering as his face turned bright red. Kakashi, on the other hand, couldn't help smiling. So the mutts had accepted Iruka as one of their own. This was excellent, truly excellent. They'd never accepted an outsider into the pack before. His entire day brightened with those words. The silver haired shinobi squatted down next to the pinned man.

"Tell you what; I'll make you a deal, Ebisu-san. Seeing as Iruka's now pack, if you convince his new brothers here," he swept his eye over the surrounding dogs as Guruko nuzzled Iruka's neck affectionately, causing the Chuunin to mumble something incoherent, "that he's better off in your care I'll hand him over without argument."

Kakashi stood and smiled as the ninken crowded closer and sat around the shinobi pinned beneath Bull, staring down at him in hostile expectation. As Kakashi was about to suggest to his team members they get going, Sasuke knelt down behind Bull and – in what seemed to be a very childish gesture – he pulled of Ebisu's left sandal. The young Jounin sighed then walked over to a window, opened it, and dropped the shoe outside.

"Hey!" Ebisu snapped at Sasuke in protest just as a crunch sounded further up the corridor.

"Oh dear," Gai muttered, lifting his foot off of the smashed glasses as Ebisu gaped at him. "How un-youthfully clumsy of me. I'll go run laps or something to make amends." The spandex clad man waved a bored hand in a dismissive gesture before wandering off to catch up with his team-mates.

Ebisu could only splutter, "You can't be serious! Gai-san, wait-" One of the dogs pointedly clearing their throat interrupted him.

"Might I suggest that you concentrate your attention on us rather than the plight of your possessions," Akino said in his calm manner.

**…**

Sighing in relief, Tsunade closed her office door. It was good she hadn't had to interfere. She'd opened her door a crack and watched the entertaining spectacle since she'd heard Ebisu's initial demand from the corridor. Wandering back to her desk and slumping into the chair, the Godaime fishing out a bottle of sake Shizune hadn't found and confiscated yet. Pouring herself a generous amount, Tsunade began scanning the list of upcoming missions. It was likely best to send Ebisu away for a little while and give everyone a chance to cool down.

Finding a good C-rank mission that would take him at least two weeks, the blond woman wrote his name along with Konohamaru and friends before stamping it. Tsunade swivelled her chair and looked out over the village she protected, indulging a nice long drink of the smooth alcohol. She'd inform Ebisu of his mission after he'd finished his chat with the ninken.

**…**

Kakashi smirked at Sasuke as Gai caught up with them.

"You were hoping he had a tattoo."

The younger man gave a miniscule shrug. "It crossed my mind."

"That is most un-youthful, Sasuke-kun," Gai commented casually, not bothering with the booming voice or overt gestures.

"So was stepping on his glasses," smirked Sasuke in response.

"That, of course, was a genuine accident."

The three Jounin chuckled.

_Good thing Iruka-sensei wasn't awake for any of that_, Sasuke thought, remembering his academy teacher's fearsome temper.

"Agreed. He would have been furious getting fussed over like that," Kakashi chuckled.

Sasuke shot him a suspicious look. How the hell did the damned man always know what he was thinking? It seriously freaked him out. Kakashi just flashed him a one eyed smile and the young Jounin decided to beat a quick retreat. Besides, he wanted to see if a certain blond idiot was home yet.

"Later," he muttered before flashing through some hand signs and teleporting away.

**…**

Chakra smoke dispersed quickly in the air as two Jounin and an unconscious Chuunin appeared in the genkan of Kakashi's home. The Jounin kicked off their shoes and Gai slipped off Iruka's while Kakashi continued to hold the sleeping man. Kakashi headed straight to the bedroom to settle Iruka in and Gai wandered into the kitchen to put the kettle on. Laying the teacher on the bed, Kakashi couldn't help but smile when Iruka continued grasping weakly at his vest. As much as he would have loved to crawl in with his Chuunin and snuggle, he had a guest.

Unzipping his vest and slipping it off carefully so as not to dislodge the teacher's grip, Kakashi laid it over a pillow and watched as Iruka rolled to his side and happily cuddled in. Deciding it didn't hurt to give into temptation every now and then; Kakashi slipped his mask down and nuzzled the soft brown hair, inhaling the wonderful mix of sandalwood and his Chuunin. Tugging his mask back into place, the Jounin smiled as some of the scent became trapped in the fabric and tantalised his senses.

The jutsu would only last a short while longer, after which the teacher would slip into a natural sleep and wake when ready. That was one of the best attributes of this particular technique. The jutsu induced a medium sleep, not plunging the affected into slumber too deeply, and allowed them to merge from induced into natural sleep. It also gave amazing dreams. Kakashi had no idea what Iruka was be dreaming of but when he'd been hit with it years ago he'd dreamed he was plunged into an Icha Icha plot and chased for hours by scantily clad sexy women! Maybe if he performed the jutsu on himself now he would dream of being chased by scantily clad Irukas while little angel winged Irukas flew overhead playing guitars.

Actually, that gave him an idea. Walking back through to the kitchen, he slouched against counter as the taijutsu specialist went about making tea. Gai had been in his home enough times over the years to know where everything was and the two of them knew the other too well to stand on formality. In each others' houses they just made themselves at home.

"Gai."

"Yes?"

"Do you still have that guitar? The one you decided get when trying to woo the village's women."

"Hmm, yes. I do believe I know where that is. Damned tricky things to play and quite ineffective for spreading the joyful beauty of youthful love," Gai said while pouring hot water into the teapot. "I much prefer the bagpipes! Strong, crisp, clear notes of adoration echoing throughout the village and hailing the rising sun of another day full of devoted passion toward precious companionship." Manly tears began to sparkle in the corners of thick-browed eyes. "The power of those resonant notes uplifting the spirit as people alighted from sleep to greet their loved ones curled adoringly beside them. And if one did not have a youthful springtime companion, the resounding melody would fill their hearts with hope and raise their spirits to find true love!"

"The only spirits you raised that morning was from graves with that caterwauling you dubbed 'mood music'," Kakashi sighed, stretching out his legs and yawning.

"Oh! Such a hip response, my rival, but such is what I have come to expect from you!" the Taijutsu specialist proclaimed loudly as intense flames of challenge smouldered in his eyes.

While Kakashi would like to tell people that Gai's antics were just that, _antics_, unfortunately it wasn't true. The ridiculously overzealous and challenge driven character the village knew and – maybe 'loved' was too stronger term, so we'll just go with 'accepted' – was actually all Maito Gai. Kakashi simply accepted him for that, just as Gai accepted the Copy-nin for his love of perverted novels and masks.

"So, anyway, I take it you're not using the guitar anymore?" Kakashi picked up the tea set and carried it through to the lounge room.

"Nope, why do you ask?"

"Just woke up with a fancy for one today. What do you want for it?"

Flopping down onto a floor cushion and striking a thoughtful pose, Gai rubbed his chin for a moment in contemplation before pumping a fist in the air and giving a sparkly grin. Kakashi knew exactly what was coming and sighed internally.

"Yosh! My most esteemed eternal rival, long has it been since our last battle of wits and skill, therefore, I challenge you!" A finger was dramatically pointed at Kakashi. "The victor shall win possession of the stringed instrument! Do you accept?"

_Oh well, if this is what it takes_.

"Sure," the Copy-nin shrugged, "what are we doing this time? Can't be anything too dangerous because of the mission tomorrow."

"I have been considering this for a long time and I believe it is time, once again, to test who is the fastest between the two of us! I propose a challenge in speed! Your sharingan verses my superior taijutsu training!"

Nodding thoughtfully, Kakashi had to admit that his slightly crazy friend didn't have a bad idea. A test of speed would indeed be an ideal way to wrap the competition up quickly and as an added bonus he got to use his sharingan. The contest was in the bag. Gai should really know better, especially considering that without the sharingan Kakashi give him a good challenge in speed.

"Ok, I know the perfect way," Kakashi said as he flashed through some hand signals. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."

A clone appeared and wandered off to the study while Kakashi poured the tea. Gai accepted a steaming cup with thanks as the clone re-entered the room carrying a flat, rectangular box.

"A jigsaw puzzle?" the spandex clad man wondered aloud as the box was placed on the low coffee table and the clone took the lid off then rattled around the pieces inside.

"Yep." Kakashi slipped his hitai-ate up to reveal his left eye. "The box will be tipped and the pieces fall to the ground. The challenge is to catch the four corner segments. Whoever gets the most corner pieces wins. Got it?"

Gai once again struck his thoughtful pose. "You know, Kakashi, that's actually quite brilliant."

"Of course it is, I thought of it."

"Oh, so hip my eternal rival! I accept this challenge!" Moving around so he was facing his opponent, Gai raised his hand and wriggled his fingers excitedly.

Kakashi also raised his hand and opened his sharingan eye. The clone held the box above their heads and prepared to drop the puzzle pieces between them.

"On three," Kakashi-clone ordered. "One… Two… Three."

The box was turned, small wooden shapes fell like rain, and hands flew through the air.

**…**

_Naruto's back_.

Sasuke would have recognised that wild chakra signal anywhere. He closed the front door and slipped off his sandals before going to find his friend. Naruto had been gone for almost a week on missions and – as loathed as he was to admit it – Sasuke had missed his presence in the house. Down the passageway, the bathroom door opened and Naruto stepped out in all his naked-chest-with-towel-riding-dangerously-low-on-hips glory. There was a smattering of minor bruises and cuts on his upper body that were already healing, but Sasuke knew that even if he had been slashed to ribbons a week ago the blond would look like this now. That damned fox was good for one thing at least.

"Hey, how was your mission?"

A bare shoulder was shrugged and Sasuke watched as a droplet of water fell from the golden hair to land and trickle down a lightly tanned collar bone.

"Not bad," Naruto answered before giving a wide yawn he didn't bother to cover. "I kicked a bunch of bad guys' arses and was totally _awesome_, as usual. You had fun skulking from shadow to shadow and wearing in your new ANBU uniform?"

"Hn."

Since the night Naruto had caught him in his ANBU attire, the two men had been able to come and go from the house in their full tactical gear as they needed. At that moment, Naruto's swirling tattoo stood out clearly on his arm, no longer hidden by a henge. They didn't discuss missions as that would just be unprofessional, but it was nice to be able to come in from a hard night and collapse on the couch without worrying about being caught.

Wandering toward his room – after a week of sleeping on the floor in the lounge, Naruto had finally decided that Sasuke was just being a prat and moved into one of the rooms – the shorter man kicked the door partially closed. The sound of the towel dropping to the floor had Sasuke stuffing his hands in his pockets and glaring at the wall.

"So, I've been craving ramen for the last week and damned if I'm gong another hour without it," Naruto called as the sound of draws sliding open drifted into the hall. "I'm heading to Ichiraku's. Wanna come get some lunch?"

"You shouldn't eat that crap so often," the dark haired shinobi admonished. "You need something healthier, especially after a mission."

The door was flung open and there stood Naruto in a pair of jeans and thick white jumper with orange edging around the collar and cuffs. While orange was still the shorter man's favourite colour, he had at least toned down it's dominance in his wardrobe as he'd gotten older. Gone were the days of the gaudy jumpsuits, the blond mostly wore standard issue uniforms like most Jounin. He had matured in many ways but could still be an obnoxious block head quite easily. Standing there in the casual clothes with his damp hair a mess of soft, pale spikes, Sasuke had to conclude that Naruto looked completely edible.

"Bullcrap, I've been eating nutritionally perfect rations and forest forage for the last week. I'm getting me some noodles, damn it! Now move your white arse and let's get going."

Sasuke sighed dramatically. "Idiot."

"Bastard!"

_If I kissed you… would you hate me?_

**…**

Standing in the doorway and watching the slumbering Chuunin, Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle quietly. It was official, Iruka looked damn cute. Cute wasn't a word most people would use to describe the Mission Room tyrant but from Kakashi's point of view right at that moment it was the only word that came to mind.

Iruka had his arms wrapped around the vest draped pillow like it was a big teddy bear. His head was snuggled into the green fabric, chocolate hair in tussled disarray, and soft lips slightly parted. The thing that made the view ridiculously cute, though, was Iruka happily drooling all over his vest. The silver haired Jounin could only smile. He really didn't want to wake the sleepy teacher up but he was hungry and Iruka needed to eat too. That and Kakashi wanted to give him his new guitar. Well, practically new. Gai really should have known better than to go up against his sharingan willingly.

Walking over and bobbing down to gently wake his Chuunin, Kakashi happily anticipated what was to come. The look of pure horror that would soon pass over the gorgeous teacher's face when Iruka discovered he'd refused to release and then drooled all over the elite Jounin's vest was sure to be memorable. Perhaps he should push up his hitai-ate and capture the sure to be classic moment for later recall.

* * *

**AN: Farewell dear writers block… and stay the fuck away, ya smimey bastard! Nice long chapter this time around. I think we'll all agree that no story featuring both Gai and Kakashi is complete without a challenge. Had to throw it in, just too much fun not to! And Iruka did need a new guitar.**

**In other news, due to **_**overwhelming**_** support for breaking this fic into two stories (and by overwhelming support I mean over 70 votes!) I will be doing a bit more exploration and playing with our lovable fellas. This also means that eventually they'll be happily exploring and playing with each other a bit more and I think that makes everyone happy.**

**Oh, and in case anyone is wondering; No, Ebisu has not managed to convince the ninken to let him take Iruka home. In fact he can't convince them to let him go home. They wuvs their new brother oodles and oodles ^_^**

**Awwww, puppy love! (dodges sharp, flying objects thrown by readers for such a poor joke)**


	16. Old School Ninja and Massages

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I often ambush people old school ninja style though!**

**Edited 2010 on a rainy spring day.**

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* * *

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 16: Old School Ninja and Massages**

_Standing in the doorway and watching the slumbering Chuunin, Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle quietly. It was official, Iruka looked damn cute. Cute wasn't a word most people would use to describe the Mission Room tyrant but from Kakashi's point of view right at that moment it was the only word that came to mind._

_Iruka had his arms wrapped around the vest draped pillow like it was a big teddy bear. His head was snuggled into the green fabric, chocolate hair in tussled disarray, and soft lips slightly parted. The thing that made the view ridiculously cute, though, was Iruka happily drooling all over his vest. The silver haired Jounin could only smile. He really didn't want to wake the sleepy teacher up but he was hungry and Iruka needed to eat too. That and Kakashi wanted to give him his new guitar. Well, practically new. Gai really should have known better than to go up against his sharingan willingly._

_Walking over and bobbing down to gently wake his Chuunin, Kakashi happily anticipated what was to come. The look of pure horror that would soon pass over the gorgeous teacher's face when Iruka discovered he'd refused to release and then drooled all over the elite Jounin's vest was sure to be memorable. Perhaps he should push up his hitai-ate and capture the sure to be classic moment for later recall._

**…**

**Seven months earlier…**

Leaning against the wall next to the entrance of the Mission Room with hands in pockets and bored expression firmly in place, Kakashi watched the utter chaos raging around him. It was incredible what could happen during the afternoon rush for submitting reports. The room was filled with bored shinobi who had nothing else to do but stand in queues and wait for the desk staff to eventually check over their report. So, like all responsible ninja when surrounded by comrades with nothing better to do, they acted like a group of naughty children bent on destroying the office.

Creative insults were being yelled across the room, Anko had set up an arm wrestling tournament, a disagreement had digressed into a scuffle that had drawn an enthusiastic crowd, someone somewhere was singing horribly off key, and Asuma had thrown his cigarette into a waste paper bin and set it on fire. The desk Chuunin were in a panic trying to break up the fight so they could get to the bin smoking dangerously in the corner and starting to show angry licks of orange flame. A more entertaining spectacle could not be found in all of Fire Country at this time of the day but the show was only part of the reason Kakashi was there enjoying the afternoon pandemonium.

The door swung open and in walked a certain pony-tailed Chuunin. He brushed past Kakashi without really acknowledging his presence, too focused on all the activity within the room. The Jounin stayed very still and inhaled deeply as Iruka passed. Chalk, ink, weapon oil, earth, and sandalwood with the underlying scent that was pure Umino Iruka. That was all the Copy-nin needed to figure out exactly what the academy sensei had been up to that day. Morning theory in the classroom with weapons practice outside after lunch. Seeing as he couldn't scent any blood, the children must have behaved themselves. Good, Iruka shouldn't have a headache that night.

This was where the afternoon anarchy came to an always spectacular and entertaining end. In a show of absolute mastery for controlling chaos, Iruka quickly flicked through some hand seals and extinguished the merrily burning bin with a water jutsu before directing the spray on the horrible singer, the warbling notes ending with a splutter. He smoothly snatched the fresh cigarette from Asuma's mouth, giving the man a pointed look. Tanned hands flashed through another jutsu and lightly touched the joined hands of the men arm wrestling, earning himself confused looks before they realised that their hands were stuck together. A glare at Anko had her pouting sulkily but not arguing as the last two contestants panicked and tried to separate from each other.

When it looked like the scuffle would not break up by itself, the fighters suddenly found their wrists caught and themselves thrown bodily through the entrance doors without warning or ceremony. Just after the two men flew out, Genma walked in looking over his shoulder in amusement at the two crumpled bodies. The final move, which had the whole room ceasing their antics completely, was Iruka pulling out a kunai and throwing it across the room. The blade pinned the mission report Genma had been carrying to the wall next to Kakashi with a loud _thunk_. Kakashi, much to his credit, didn't even twitch and simply continued to observe the spectacle with a bored eye.

Casting an annoyed glare at Genma, Iruka spoke in a polite tone that somehow also contained a definite threat. "Genma-san, if I can see pink highlighter from here then the report is unacceptable. Please fill out a new one and stand in line." Narrowed brown eyes regarded the rest of the room. "Form lines, people."

No one argued and just like that order was restored. Jounin calmly formed lines, chatting among themselves, and the Chuunin were too afraid to play up when their superiors obeyed the orders a mere academy teacher. The other Mission Desk staff looked upon Iruka with awe as he took his usual seat and began processing reports. As two Chuunin were exiting the room after handing in their reports, Kakashi caught some of their whispered conversation.

"Why does everyone do what he says? He's only our rank but the Jounin give in without a fight or even smacking him around for insubordination. I really don't get it."

"I know. If we tried to pull what he did we'd have our arses handed to us by half a dozen Jounin in two seconds flat. He threw a weapon at a superior and even stole the cigarette right out of Asuma-san's mouth and neither of them so much as frowned at him! If anything, Asuma-san looked _amused_. How the hell does he get away with it?"

Kakashi laughed internally. He and the other Jounin let Iruka get away with it because the young teacher had the balls to do it in the first place, they respected that. It also didn't hurt that Iruka would always help if asked and was just so damn nice if you were having a bad day. Kakashi knew Iruka had a crying Anko after many hellish missions and gave Genma a supportive hand more times than he'd smacked the Tokubetsu Jounin upside the head. Kakashi had seen Iruka light Asuma's cigarette for him when the large man's hands were shaking too much to do it himself and Iruka had stayed by his side in silent support until the Jounin was ready to talk. They all just plain liked the Chuunin, more than liked in his case. The Copy Ninja pulled out his book and read until the lines had thinned and Iruka was free. He pulled the kunai next to him out of the wall and walked over to the dark haired man.

"Good evening, Kakashi-sensei," Iruka greeted with a polite smile. "I was wondering when you'd come over to hand in your report."

"Have you been watching me, Iruka-sensei?" Kakashi teased in a light tone, his grey eye curving as a flush spread over the younger man's scarred cheeks.

"No, I just wanted to apologise for the kunai. It wasn't very polite of me to pin a report to the wall right next to your hip."

"Maa, it didn't bother me." Kakashi placed the weapon and his report on the desk.

"Yes, I saw that," Iruka mumbled as he picked up the report and started to read, slipping his kunai back into its holster with his other hand. "Still, I am sorry."

Kakashi smiled at him, eye crinkling a little more. "You're forgiven."

The Chuunin continued reading, frowning as he neared the end.

"Something wrong, sensei?"

"No," Iruka replied, sounding a little uncertain and raising almost suspicious eyes to the silver haired shinobi. "It's all in perfect order and on time." There was a slight pause and the chocolate gaze turned worried. "Are you feeling well, Kakashi-sensei?"

Kakashi couldn't help it; he started to laugh and enjoyed the way it brought a full blush to the younger man's face. "Quite well thank you, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka gave a small, embarrassed chuckle and smiled sheepishly up at the Jounin. "Thank you for your hard work."

The Copy Ninja inclined his head in farewell, turned, and walked from the Mission Room grinning like a fool under his mask and enjoying the feel of Iruka's eyes on him the whole way.

**End flashback.**

**...  
**

Kakashi was seated comfortably on a floor cushion in the lounge room with cup of tea on the table next to him and book in hand. It had been a good twenty minutes and Kakashi appeared to be well absorbed in the storyline. The Jounin hadn't taken a drink in over ten minutes but would occasionally give a quiet chuckle at whatever was happening in the Icha Icha plot. As an added bonus, his blind side was turned towards the hall door where Iruka was crouched, silent and still.

A couple of hours earlier, Kakashi had woken Iruka to one of the most mortifying situations of his entire life. A deep chuckle and a hand gently rubbing his shoulder had stirred him from sleep into a confusing reality where he had his arms wrapped around a pillow draped in a standard issue vest with a large wet patch. It had taken approximately ten fuzzy seconds for Iruka to realise Kakashi wasn't wearing his vest and the strange damp patch was in fact his own saliva. He'd looked at the Jounin in wide eyed horror and Kakashi had shrugged a lazy shoulder while the smile on his face was so big it stretched the mask.

"You wouldn't let go," the Jounin had said with barely contained laughter as Iruka felt his face heat up like a lantern. "It was so cute."

The horrified teacher had barely groaned out "Oh my God!" before burying his bright red face under some pillows and pulling the blankets as far over his head as possible. Nothing would drown out the Jounin's laughter.

_If there's any justice in this world please, please make it possible to blush to death_!

The blankets were being pulled away and Iruka gripped them tighter, curling up into a ball and praying he was still asleep. No matter how tightly he held the blankets, though, he was no match for Kakashi.

"Now, now, you can't hide forever. Out you come."

"Go away." His voice sounded muffled even to him. "Let me suffocate myself in peace."

The damned Jounin just kept laughing and digging until he uncovered the madly blushing and mortified Chuunin, flipping him onto his back so there was nowhere else to hide.

"There you are!" Kakashi proclaimed, leaning over him with a big smile and Iruka knew his face wasn't even half a shade less red than when he'd buried himself. If anything, having the Jounin looming over him and bordering him with his arms had Iruka blushing even darker. "You disappeared on me."

Iruka covered his face with his hands and made a noise of supreme embarrassment.

"I'm so _sorry_," he groaned from behind his hands. "I'll wash it for you."

Kakashi had kept laughing and pulled Iruka to his feet, prodding him through to the kitchen for lunch. After he'd eventually stopped looking so red and had managed to get down some mild vegetable curry and rice, Iruka had pleaded tiredness and hidden in the bedroom for awhile. Finally, he'd decided to stop being such a blushing idiot and go wash the vest. Deciding to try and make it to the laundry without alerting Kakashi to his presence in a bid to stave off more teasing, the teacher had snuck down the hallway with stealth that only came from being a shinobi. Poking his head out the hallway door, he'd spied the great Copy Ninja sitting in his lounge room reading and Iruka had been hit with a ridiculously devious idea.

Umino Iruka, injured Chuunin and chakraless shinobi, would ambush the great Sharingan Kakashi old school ninja style!

While a part of him realised this was likely one of the dumber ideas he'd ever had – because, let's face it, sneaking up and pouncing on an elite Jounin isn't exactly the brightest idea at the best of times – the prankster in him just couldn't resist the challenge. The few traps he'd set around the apartment over the last week had all been in vain. That was to be expected as he had no chakra to completely conceal them and it was the Copy-nin he was trying to target, however, this plan was so ridiculously simplistic that it might actually work.

The set up was _perfect_. Kakashi was sitting angled away from him with his blind side to Iruka and the lighting was such that no shadow would be cast in the Jounin's direction by his approach. If he could creep quietly enough he should be able to get close to the older man without alerting him. Iruka had no chakra to announce his presence and chakra wasn't required to move stealthily, that was all skill. He had socks on to help muffle his movement and the cargo pants he'd worn to see the Hokage that morning were loose enough that he could move well in them. The material wasn't designed to be as noiseless like their uniforms but he could work around that, a good ninja needed the ability work within the given situation after all.

Enough time had passed and Iruka needed to get moving before his body decided it needed another nap. Skulking out in a crouch and keeping low, the chakraless teacher crept like a stalking cat toward his target. Slow, carefully placed hands and socked feet didn't make a whisper of sound. His muscles trembled with the effort but he expertly controlled his breathing to keep the flow of air silent. His whole body froze as Kakashi gave a low chuckle and turned a page, instantly becoming absorbed in the next one. After a few moments, Iruka began moving again, making his way slowly but steadily closer and relishing the adrenaline flowing through his veins in excitement. This was so much fun and, against all odds, it seemed to be working!

Without a sound, Iruka finally reached what he had dubbed the 'Pounce Zone'. He had calculated for his lack of strength by getting a hell of a lot closer than he'd usually have to. Soon would be the time to strike, Kakashi was about due to turn the page and that would be the perfect moment. Iruka watched with growing excitement as the pale hand lifted and took hold of the corner. Muscles coiled and tensed through out his body as the page was lifted and the process of turning commenced. Without making a sound, Iruka pounced!

As his arms wrapped around the Jounin's chest, Iruka was of two minds. On one side, he was ecstatic! His plan had worked and the simplest method for ambush had succeeded! He, an injured pre-genin teacher, had been able to ambush the great master of a thousand jutsu without any weapons or chakra. The other side of his mind was waiting for the Jounin to strike out on instinct and kill him. That side of his mind was yelling that he was an idiot and no one would ever know the plan had worked because he was about to die and Kakashi would never admit to being bested by him. As it turned out, both were wrong.

As contact was made, the silver haired shinobi disappeared in a puff of smoke and Iruka found himself grasping a pile of cushions instead, toppling forward to land on the soft little mounds unhurt.

_A henge? Oh Shit!_

"Yaaaaah!" came a great yell from above.

"Aaaagh!" Iruka cried out as a body launched through the air and flew right for him.

The teacher curled up in a defensive ball, flinging his arms over his head to try and protect it. No impact came but a deeply amused laugh sounded in his ear and Iruka peeked out from under his arms. Kakashi had caught himself on his hands and feet, hovering over the curled up Chuunin but not touching him. The Jounin was looking down at him with his grey eye crinkled and shinning brightly in amusement.

"Yo."

Iruka uncurled and let his head fall back as his breath rushed from his lungs in a relieved sigh. "Holy hell, I thought you were going to squish me."

Kakashi laughed and moved from his hovering position to kneel next to the shorter man.

"When did you know?" Iruka asked, propping himself on his elbows and looking up at the elite Jounin.

"Oh, about twenty minutes ago when you first peeked your head through the door and got that mischievous glint in your eye."

"What? How? I didn't make a sound."

Kakashi chuckled and pressed a finger to the Chuunin's forehead. "I could hear your devious little mind whirling."

Iruka looked at him incredulously for a moment before he flopped back onto the pillows and cracked up laughing. Honestly, how could he have ever thought he would succeed in ambushing Hatake Kakashi like that?

"So I win?" the older man asked, smiling down at him.

"Yeah," Iruka chuckled, "you win."

"Excellent! That means I get my prize," Kakashi declared, clapping his hands together and rubbing them.

"Prize?" the younger man asked in confusion.

The question had barely left his lips when strong hands wrapped around his upper arms and Iruka was hauled upwards. Before a surprised "Hey!" had fully made its way out of his throat, Iruka found himself slung over a broad shoulder like a sack of potato's and Kakashi was striding across the room. An arm was wrapped around his legs, keeping him from falling off.

"Woah! Kakashi!" Iruka cried out in shock, fisting his hands in the back of the older mans shirt and holding on. "What the hell are you doing? Put me down, I'm not a freaking Icha Icha heroine!"

"Shush, I won so be quiet and behave," was the highly amused reply and Iruka gave an extremely undignified yelp when a hand smacked him playfully on the arse in punishment.

They entered the bedroom and the world spun as he was dropped onto the bed.

"What do you thi- Oi!" Iruka arms were forced up as his shirt was tugged over his head and the extremely surprised Chuunin felt the button of his pants flicked open.

Wide chocolate eyes met the highly amused grey as Kakashi paused, tossing the shirt to the floor and holding up the jar of ointment the Hokage had given him earlier that day. Kakashi had been tempted to just unzip and pull off Iruka's pants without explaining the situation to him, but there was trust between them and stripping the younger man without warning might be pushing the boundaries just a little. Instead, the Jounin gave a happy, one eyed smile and dangled the jar in front of Iruka's eyes.

"Hokage's orders," He chirped happily. "Pants off please."

The reaction was wonderful. Iruka looked between him and the jar with a huge, shocked eyes and his face slowly heated up to a charming bright red.

"W-w-wait a minute! You don't have to do that, I can do it. There's no-"

"Nuh uh, you heard the old bag. Chakra has to be added to the mix and you don't have any. Besides, you can't _massage_ your own back."

Oh, Iruka's face got even redder when he'd said 'massage' but that was to be expected considering he's practically purred the word. This was going to be so much fun!

_Massage_! _Massage_! Iruka panicked.

The thought of Kakashi's hands all over his body, rubbing and kneading and _touching_! This was very, very bad. What if he got an erection because of the touching and the Jounin saw. He'd never live it down! Kakashi would never talk to him again! They'd just become friends and-

"Hey, Iruka, calm down. If you blush any hotter your hair will catch on fire."

For the second time that day Iruka made an extremely embarrassed sound and covered his face with his hands. Kakashi, the bastard, just chuckled and proceeded to unzip and slide off his pants leaving him only in his underwear. The Jounin did momentarily contemplate pushing Tsunade's order to the extreme and relieving the Chuunin of those too but decided that might be a little too much for the bashful man.

"On your stomach, _sensei_."

Oh hell, had Kakashi meant to say his title like that? He'd never hear the word with a clean mind again. This was going to be torture. Iruka quickly rolled onto his stomach and buried his flushed face in the crook of his elbow. He could only hope that Kakashi would make the entire procedure as quick and impersonal as possible.

Hands were in his hair, pulling out the tie and running through the strands in exactly the way Iruka loved. They seemed to know precisely how to lull him into a state of deep relaxation. He'd always been a sucker for someone playing with his hair and it had been years since anyone had touched it like that. Iruka didn't know how Kakashi knew exactly the way he loved to be touched or why he'd started with his hair when there wasn't any ointment to rub into the bruise on the back of his head, but he wasn't going to fight it. It felt too damn good.

Eventually, his hair was brushed upwards off his shoulders and neck and there was ointment being spread over his shoulders by strong fingers. Iruka could feel the calluses on Kakashi's finger tips, they felt nice moving over his skin, lightly scratching as well as massaging. Those hands were magic, absolutely magic, and the warm tingle of chakra mixed in was bliss. The great Copy Ninja seemed to be a genius in more areas than Iruka had given him credit for. The body next to him shifted and a weight settled across the back of his thighs. Iruka tried very hard not to think about how sexy it was to be face down on a soft bed with Kakashi's hands all over him and the Jounin's weight pinning him down.

As Iruka lay pliant beneath his hands, completely lax from having his hair stroked and muscles loosening quickly under his hands, Kakashi was trying very hard not to start panting. Oh, that honey skin was glorious even covered in bruises. Smooth, scarred, and soft, it was such a joy to touch. He worked his way slowly from the teacher's shoulders and neck to the lower back. Kakashi couldn't help himself from running a finger down the long and well faded scar from the sword slash Kakashi had healed four years ago. Just like the last time, the Chuunin gave a little gasp and shiver. He was glad he'd done a good job back then so the scar was only thin.

When Kakashi had rubbed at a particularly stubborn knot, Iruka had actually moaned and arched into his touch. All the Jounin wanted to do was tear away the annoying underwear and slide his slick fingers-

_Don't think of that_!

He quickly finished Iruka's back and moved on. All the wicked things he wanted to do to the Chuunin flashed clearly through his mind as he spread the long legs and settled between them. The teacher had fine hair and it was easy to spread the ointment over his skin. It was a worrying how much weight the younger man had lost through the massive chakra release, the long limbs were very thin under his hands. Kakashi had no doubt that through his care the teacher would soon be back to peak fitness. Little noises were coming from Iruka as the older man moved his hands over the bronzed skin. A sigh, breathy moan, or just small gasp punctuated the air every so often, all of them going directly to Kakashi's groin.

When Kakashi reached the teacher's feet, taking one in his lap and pressing thumbs into its arch, Iruka actually purred and the Jounin shuddered. He was glad Iruka looked half asleep because areas of Kakashi's body were awake enough for the both of them! Finishing with the feet, Kakashi didn't bother asking the younger man to roll over. He moved up the bed, took hold of a hip and shoulder, and rolled him. Eyes so dark with relaxation they looked almost black gazed up at him through heavy lids as the long hair tanged across the blanket. The Jounin swallowed thickly and knew this was what Iruka would look like after a slow and thorough...

_Don't think of that, damn it!_

Kakashi slipped a hand under the dark head, burying fingers in the thick hair and lifting it to slide a pillow underneath.

"Mmm, thank you."

"No problem."

Was it Iruka's imagination or did Kakashi's voice sound husky. It must be his imagination; he knew the Jounin was as straight as they came. He liked his women and Iruka was most certainly not one. Those talented hands felt sinfully good as they worked back up his legs. When they moved to his inner thighs, the teacher could feel colour rising on his cheeks and tried to force it down. The Copy-nin took special interest in the light flush that was staining the teacher's cheeks and brushed his hands up the inside of Iruka's thighs again. Interesting.

Thankfully, before things went too far and Iruka started reacting in certain areas he'd been able to control so far, the hands moved to his stomach and began to spread more ointment. They didn't so much need massaging as a rub and some chakra, it was so wonderfully relaxing. From his stomach, Kakashi moved onto his arms and hands, cracking all the joints in his fingers and making him feel like a big puddle of goo.

The final area that was attended to was his chest and Iruka was about ready to fall asleep again despite his long snooze earlier in the day. That was until a thumb brushed over his nipple. The callused pad added to the friction and Iruka managed to bite back a gasp, ordering his blood to stay away from his face and groin. The Jounin decided to then dig his fingers down a little harder, catching his other nipple between two so it was given a small tug. Just as Iruka caught the small gasp threatening to escape his lips, the same happened on the other side and the gasp slipped out.

"Did I hurt you?" Kakashi asked mildly.

"N-no. Sorry," the younger man answered in a small voice, his face flushing and he wanted to hide.

"Ah, did it feel good then?" the Jounin questioned in a light tone.

_How do I answer that? Yeah, it felt so good it went straight to my groin. Would you massage there next, please? Crap._

"Umm-" another gasp escaped as Kakashi repeated the move on both sides and Iruka swallowed thickly, his cheeks heating up.

"I'll have to remember that spot. There's a few you seemed to enjoy. I'll focus on them a bit more for you tomorrow." He repeated the move, making sure to catch the nipples again and add a little more chakra for the tingle effect. He smiled wickedly behind his mask as Iruka's eyes slid closed and he ever so slightly arched up into the touch. "But, for now you're done."

"Th-thank you very much," Iruka stammered as Kakashi stood from the bed and headed to the bathroom to wash his hands. The Jounin grinned the whole way, thinking of how he would expand on those simple pleasure points the Chuunin had reacted to so well. The teacher would be putty in his hands in no time.

Iruka lay on the bed for a few more moments and listened to Kakashi move about the house. Oh hell, the reason he's made noises at some of the points Kakashi had pressed on was because they'd had bolts of pleasure shooting through his body. If the Jounin gave them more attention next time Iruka would end up hard and squirming under his touch. He was half hard as it was and it was only due to pure will power and some nasty mental images that he'd managed any control at all. He knew that image of Jiraiya making out with Koharu Utatane dressed in a naughty bunny outfit had been burned into his memory for a reason. Honestly, it had been nightmare inspiring stuff, he knew of a few people who had seen it and they all swore it was the best erection killing material in existence. At that moment, the Chuunin really needed to get back under control. If only he could have a cold shower but the ointment needed to soak in. He sighed, closed his eyes, and thought of the Sanin and village Councillor while trying not to gag.

**…**

"Bastard."

"Moron."

"Asshole."

The front door slammed behind them as Sasuke and Naruto returned home from lunch and a light sparring match. Of course, their long standing rivalry and competitive natures had caused one of them to start an argument over who was progressing faster and this had finally digressed into name calling, as it usually did. In some ways, the two young Jounin never did grow up.

"Usuratonkachi."

"Prick."

"Loser."

"Fag."

With that single insult, something inside Sasuke finally snapped. With a feral growl, he shot out his hand and wrapped it around Naruto's neck then slammed the blond up against the nearest wall, pinning him with his taller frame.

"So the fuck what if I am?" he snarled down at the shorter man.

Huge blue eyes stared at him in shock as Sasuke dipped his head and finally claimed lips he had been dreaming of for years. Oh good heavens, they felt even better than he'd imagined, the shorter body felt better pressed up against his than he ever could have dreamed. Sasuke's hand lifted from the slender neck to bury in soft, pale spikes as the other cupped a whiskered cheek. He was so absorbed in the kiss that the blow, which struck him in the side of the face, took him completely by surprise.

The pale man staggered back and stared into furiously narrowed blue eyes as he fully registered what he'd just done. Fuck, he'd kissed his best friend. He'd kissed Naruto. He'd kissed the man in the running to become the next Hokage. What the hell had he been thinking? Well, obviously he hadn't been thinking but… _shit,_ he should have known better!

Before he could say anything, Naruto leapt at Sasuke and tackled him to the ground. They went down hard, the jinchūriki came out on top and pinned the dark haired Jounin below him. Sasuke froze, watching for attack and ready to block, he stared up at the closest person to him in the whole world with his heart in his throat. The blond glared down at him with eyes like blue flames, hands gripping Sasuke's shoulders tightly.

"Took you fucking long enough," Naruto hissed before crushing his lips to the stunned man's below and tearing his shirt open.

In other ways, the two young Jounin finally did grow up.

* * *

**AN: I wasn't originally going to write the scene where Iruka woke up from drooling all over Kakashi's vest, but so many of you asked for it and I wanted to make you happy. Yes, I know that some of you will be screaming at me for not writing out the Sasuke and Naruto scene but I assure you there is method to my madness. Take a deep breath and know I'll make up for it later. Remember, this is going to be a two part series and there's plenty of smut to come (pun totally intended).**

**So, I am running a bit of an experiment. I'd like you to please copy and paste you favourite line from this story in the review section. Every now and then I'll get a review saying that a certain line was just fantastic and I want to know what you like. Please go find your favourite line from this/any chapter and post it up for me.**

**Well, this is also the stage where I give you all much, much praise and say what wonderful readers you are and how much I love getting your reviews. Thank you for sticking out with this story and for so many of you reading Stranger Situations too. **

**What? I'm not shamelessly plugging my other fiction again! Geeze, you people.**


	17. Executed Traitors and Dark Missions

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I did sharpen Kakashi's weapons for him though.**

**AN: Last chapter broke the 500 review barrier. YOU ALL ROCK! Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Edited 2010 with the power of Greyskull!**

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 17: Traitors and Dark Missions**

_The pale man staggered back and stared into furiously narrowed blue eyes as he fully registered what he'd just done. Fuck, he'd kissed his best friend. He'd kissed Naruto. He'd kissed the man in the running to become the next Hokage. What the hell had he been thinking? Well, obviously he hadn't been thinking but… __shit,__ he should have known better!_

_Before he could say anything, Naruto leapt at Sasuke and tackled him to the ground. They went down hard, the jinchūriki came out on top and pinned the dark haired Jounin below him. Sasuke froze, watching for attack and ready to block, he stared up at the closest person to him in the whole world with his heart in his throat. The blond glared down at him with eyes like blue flames, hands gripping Sasuke's shoulders tightly._

_"Took you fucking long enough," Naruto hissed before crushing his lips to the stunned man's below and tearing his shirt open._

_In other ways, the two young Jounin finally did grow up._

**…**

The first bird call of the day trilled outside Kakashi's kitchen window as the sky began to lighten on the horizon. The ANBU waited quietly while Kakashi read through the scroll she had delivered only moments ago. They stood in the Copy-nin's Kitchen and their breath was visible in the cold morning air, miniature clouds puffing from the beneath her cougar mask and escaping through the woven black fabric of Kakashi's mask. The ANBU stood still and silent, resisting the urge to wrap her cloak tighter around her and show any weakness in front of this living legend.

To further impress her, the silver haired man stood clad only in a tight ANBU singlet with mask attachment and a pair of black training pants. Even with such light clothing, his skin had not broken into goosebumps like hers beneath her warm, standard issue cloak. The Copy-nin's hitai-ate wasn't present, instead the remarkable silver hair covered his closed left eye while the right scanned the scroll's content. When he'd finished reading, Kakashi handed the scroll back to her simply nodding to let her know she was dismissed.

"Half an hour," Cougar reminded him while tucking the scroll away.

The Lady Hokage had ordered her to remind him again verbally before she left his house and opening her mouth to talk to the terribly intimidating man was extremely difficult, but Hokage's orders must be carried out. His answer was a flat look that had her quickly leaping out the kitchen window where she'd entered. Goodness but that man was far too intimidating for that time of the morning.

**…**

Kakashi moved through his bedroom in absolute silence. Even though the slumbering man in the bed was deep in sleep, Kakashi would take no chances of him waking. Opening the cupboard door, he knelt and lifted some blankets off a well worn wooden chest. Opening the worn lid, well oiled hinges made no sound as the contents were revealed. Staring up at him with empty slanted eyes was the mask of the Hound. Those eyes would not be empty for long.

Lifting the mask from the box, Kakashi laid it to the side on top of the blankets and proceeded to pull out his equipment. Stripping off his sleeping clothes and tossing them aside, Kakashi pulled on his ANBU uniform. The black singlet and pants were first followed by the white chest plate. Properly enclosed boots laced half way up his calves securely, the winter issue shoes were specially designed to afford maximum grip and silence while protecting from frostbite. Clawed gloves slid over elegant pale hands and fitted like a second skin up powerfully muscled arms, they were kept in place with bandages strapped around his biceps. The tattoo proclaiming his station as an elite black-ops soldier stood out starkly against his pale skin.

Forearm plates, scratched from countless missions but still pristinely white, were clipped on securely. Weapon holsters were clipped and strapped into place and the chakra blade that was his inheritance – reforged from the shards it had broken into many years before – settled between his shoulder blades. Finally, the clawed hands reached for one of the most feared masks in all the shinobi countries. The long red cords were tied securely behind his head and nestled in the silver hair, holding the porcelain in place – a mask over a mask – and the transformation was complete.

Where Hatake Kakashi, Master of 1000 Jutsu, and wielder of the Sharingan had stood existed the Hound, Konoha's most efficient killing machine and living nightmare of enemies to the Hidden Leaf.

The Hound looked over as Iruka shifted in his sleep, sighing as he rolled. The sleeping man settled on his back, breathing once more deep and regular. The ANBU silently walked to the edge of the bed and stared down at the Chuunin. The long throat was completely exposed and vulnerable as the teacher's head lolled to one side. Dark strands fell over pillows in tussled disarray, one curled hand resting on the silky hair next to a scarred face. The features of that face were relaxed and peaceful in sleep, soft lips slightly open and breathing easily while long lashes left crescent shaped shadows on honey toned cheeks. Iruka's skin still bore signs of battle and a grey eye behind the white porcelain took in the fat, finger shaped marks on the neck and large, yellowing bruise down the side of the sleep flushed face.

A gloved hand reached out and sharp clawed fingers wrapped carefully around the cooling skin of Iruka's wrist. Gently, the bruised arm was slid under the warmth of the covers and the blankets pulled up to cover the vulnerable throat, tucked securely under the strong chin to ward off the cold winter air. The clawed fingers hovered over the sprawling dark hair for a moment before pulling away and the Hound stepped back. A living weapon and cold killer he may be but totally devoid of emotions he was not. After all, he had been the Hound when he had first realised he was in love with the Chuunin that rainy night so many years ago. If they truly were two different men, then both Hatake Kakashi and the Hound loved Umino Iruka.

Flashing through teleportation sequence, the ANBU vanished without a pop or chakra smoke, just the barest displacement of air. It was time to hunt.

**…**

"Information gleaned from the interrogation of Morioka Taro has given us more details on the plot against not only Konoha but also the Hidden Village of Mist," Tsunade said to the Hound, Tortoise, Feline, and Kitsune. The ANBU stood silently in front of her desk, listening carefully to her every word. "The organisation calls itself SUN or Single Unified Nation. Their ultimate plan is to murder the Kages and render the title obsolete. Warlords are to take control of the shinobi nations. They plan to rule over all with a single council and declare permanent martial law. The tattoo on its members signifies that. The shuriken represents a sun of iron to rule over all while the meaning of the kanji 'unify' should be obvious. Fire Country and Water Country have been targeted first with plans to then move on to Wind."

"I wonder how they were planning to take out the Kazekage. Gaara's defences aren't the easiest to breach," Kitsune said.

"That's where this gets interesting. They were planning on using you, Naruto."

"_What_?" the blond behind the fox mask exclaimed angrily. "Never! I'll never betray my village or our alliance to another. Did they forget that Gaara's also my friend?"

Naruto had requested the identity of Kitsune when offered a position in ANBU even though Tsunade had offered him the choice of any animal he wanted. She had believed he would go for a toad to represent his summons, she was proud he had chosen to take the fox. It had been a surprise to many but Naruto had done so for good reasons. By containing the nine-tailed demon, he was doing his duty and protecting his village, he also used the creature's chakra on occasion to fight their enemies. By assuming the identity of his greatest shame, it became his power and he wore it with pride to protect the people that one day would be his responsibility to watch over as Hokage. It took the power away from his enemy to throw the demon's existence in his face by assuming its identity in battle. To add to this, his mask bore the three whiskered marks that marred his own face. His was the only mask in all ANBU that so clearly stated who its wearer was.

Tsunade held up a hand to silence the young Jounin but it was Ibiki who spoke. The massive man was clad in his ANBU captain uniform, the stylised badger mask hiding his scarred face.

"They weren't going to use you specifically but it seems they've been getting some dark ideas from the actions of Akatsuki and that business all those years ago with the young monk Sora," the interrogation specialist informed them. "They have discovered a way to harness the Kyubi's power with a machine and transfer an amount into another host. You would act more like a battery to power up other soldiers."

Everyone in the room was disturbed by the idea of Naruto being trapped and used in such a dishonourable way. They would never let it happen.

"It reeks of dark, forbidden techniques left behind by Orochimaru." The Hokage's hands clenched and her knuckles cracked loudly. "This is why the four of you will have an extra burden to the main mission. Kitsune and Feline, you must find the scroll containing the information on how to build this chakra draining machine. No matter what happens, you must get the scroll back to me or destroy it completely if that's not possible. This information is far too dangerous to be in the wrong hands." Tsunade turned to the two older ANBU. "Hound, Tortoise, your mission is to kill Danzo. That man is not to leave the building alive. I don't care how it's done; just make ensure that it's final."

The four ANBU nodded their heads and spoke as one. "Understood, Hokage-sama."

"Good. The others should be here shortly."

**…**

Thirty ANBU soldiers gave their undivided attention to Tsunade as she stood before them in her office. Ten teams, three soldiers to a team, stood or squatted in silence. They were all armed, alert, and ready for action.

"Before I give you your instructions, it has been revealed that there is a traitor in our midst." There was some surprised shifting around the room, masked faces turning to look at each other. "Someone has leaked information regarding our plan to attack tonight and has seriously compromised the mission, forcing me play my hand much earlier than I'd like. To reveal this traitor, I require everyone in this room to take off their shoes immediately."

The shinobi moved to obey the unusual order with the exception of Shizune, who was standing beside the Hokage dressed in her Jounin uniform and fully armed. The Hound, Tortoise, Feline, and Kitsune stood guard at the edges of the room and Badger was positioned behind Tsunade. Their loyalty was above question and their duty to capture the traitor should he or she attempt to escape. As it turned out, escape was not on the traitor's mind.

There was a flash of movement from amongst the masked crowd as one of the shinobi suddenly dashed towards the Hokage, kunai in hand. With incredible speed, Badger caught the woman before she reached the village leader. Pinning one of her arms behind her back and twisting the other holding the kunai up to her own throat, he held her upper body immobile, the knife pressing so hard into her skin that if she moved or struggled at all she would slit her own throat. Two other ANBU, Falcon and Otter who were the woman's team mates, had automatically lunged forwards and caught her legs in an attempt to stop her from reaching their leader. Their feelings of anger and betrayal were so strong they were palpable as the two ANBU gripped the traitor almost hard enough to break bones.

With great dignity, Tsunade stepped forward and removed the porcelain mask to reveal a furious pair of eyes and snarling mouth.

"Death to all Kages," the woman spat before hissing as Badger dug the kunai deeper into her skin, letting loose a trickle of blood.

"Take off her left shoe and lift her foot," ordered Shizune. Falcon quickly obeyed and clearly inked into the skin of her heel was the tattoo.

The Godaime looked the woman straight in the eyes. "Kakaru Misa, you are a traitor to your country and your village. You have broken your oath to protect those of Konohagakure by consorting with the enemy and supporting them to in an attack against her citizens."

"Get off your high horse, you old bag!" Misa snapped furiously. "We aim to unify all nations under one leadership, a strong leadership that will dispel the old Kage ways, one that will increase our power so that none may stand against us. All countries, shinobi or otherwise, will be unified and ruled as one under a fair and just martial law."

Tsunade looked at the younger woman with sympathy in her eyes and shook her head sadly.

"Old men filling young heads with dreams of an ideal world ruled with martial law when in reality they simply plot to become more powerful and fulfil their own egotistical greed. This is nothing more than a sick plan to attempt the childish dream of world domination. You have forsaken your own people, betrayed your comrades," a perfectly manicured hand swept the room, indicating the other masked figures glaring furiously at the captured woman, "and bought war to a village you swore an oath to protect with your very life."

"Fuck you, you power hungry whore! Death to all Kages!" The woman yelled and spat at Tsunade, hissing again when more blood spilled from her slight movement and Badger's tightened grip.

"No," said a deep voice from the corner of the room. The Hound walked forward and slowly wrapped his hand around the woman's throat just under where the kunai was being held. She paled considerably as claws dug into the soft flesh at the back of her neck. "Death to all traitors."

"Kill her."

With that order, a single claw pressed into Kakaru Misa's neck and sliced through her spinal column. The woman was dead in an instant, Badger and the other ANBU soldiers releasing the body as it crumpled to the floor. All eyes turned back to the Hokage, ignoring the corpse.

"The traitor leaked information that we would be striking tonight. The enemy has assembled for an emergency meeting this morning, so we strike now. The location is the North-East district."

"Team leaders, come forward and collect blueprints," the ANBU captain commanded.

Tsunade waited until all teams had a copy. "This is the layout of their base of operations. We assume the main body will be gathered in the central meeting room."

She regarded the room of shinobi in front of her. Each team was gathered around their map and memorising the blueprints.

"Falcon, Otter." The two men turned to face her. "You will remain here and act as my guards. I will not send you into battle with an incomplete team."

The two men bowed deeply to their leader, deeply grateful. They knew that she was not only protecting their lives but also demonstrating to the rest in the room that she trusted their loyalty even if their team member had turned traitor.

"For the rest of you," all faces turned to her again and the Sanin regarded them with feirce amber eyes, "annihilate them. Go!"

The room emptied in the blink of an eye. Falcon and Otter picked up the traitor's body and carried it from the room for disposal. Looking down at the dead woman's mask in her hands, Tsunade gave a deep sigh. Shizune walked over to her long time friend, placing her hand on the blond woman's shoulder and squeezing comfortingly.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah." The hokage held the mask up for Shizune to see. "It's ironic, no?"

"It is," the dark haired woman agreed.

The Sannin's grip tightened and the mask of the Mole broke in half.

**…**

The kunai ricochet off a white arm guard as Naruto blocked a hit meant for the back of Sasuke's head. The Feline was crouched down and flashing through hand symbols at a startlingly fast pace. The large scroll that was their objective was guarded by a nasty set of jutsu and Sasuke had to work diligently to disable each one in turn. His years with Orochimaru had made him a master of seal manipulation, the skills of which he was putting to good use.

Kitsune protected his team mate and closest friend with the help of two of his summons. It was a difficult task. He had to constantly defend his partner while sending out clones to attack those trying to kill them. The information from the spies on the base's layout had been correct, it was a two story warehouse with multiple walled off areas, some with ceilings to separate the two levels but some just open all the way to the main roof. There was also an underground level where the main meeting room was located. The area they were at that moment fighting in was towards the back of the building. It was an open, two storey room with balconies lining it and multiple doors and windows. The scroll was located in the very centre of the floor. Basically, it was one of the worst scenarios the two young ANBU could have found themselves in.

The reason they were having so much trouble was that while the schematics of the building had been correct, the number of enemy they were up against had been horrifically underestimated. While there were twenty-five Konoha traitors, they seemed to have visitors and the numbers of enemy ninja reached almost one hundred. It was disturbing to say the least, that so many enemies had infiltrated the village without their knowledge. They were horribly outnumbered and the enemy comprised of shinobi of mixed Chuunin and Jounin levels. Their team, however, were all ANBU.

It was not so much the enemies skill that was slowing them down, more their vast numbers and the barrage of ninjutsu being thrown at them. Adding to the odds being stacked against them, three of the ANBU squads had been ordered to remain outside and set up a perimeter to eliminate anyone trying to escape. This had left seven squads to go in and do all the work against great opposition. Some of the enemy-nins had tried to evacuate, only for one to make it back and declare that there were assassins waiting outside. After that, a large number of them had holed up in the central meeting room with their leaders and protected the walls, doors, roof, and floor with traps and barriers.

A fire jutsu shot through the air and Naruto quickly flashed through some hand signs before releasing his newly developed wind back lash justsu. It was one he'd thought up during a battle and had worked hard with Sasuke to develop and perfect it. It was perfect against fire attacks as it directed the flame back at the creator with added oxygen to feed it, making it much bigger. There was a howl of pain before a burning figure ran across a balcony above and tumbled over the railing, falling two storeys to the concrete below.

_Just like in the movies_.

Naruto dismissed the thought as Gamatabi and Gamakichi showed a remarkable display of prowess in stopping a barrage of senbon and shuriken from reaching the focused Feline. When he and Sasuke had first seen the lay out of the room, he'd summoned the toads to assist them in the battle. Gamatabi was showing his excellent defensive skills while Gamakichi dashed off now and then to take out an enemy before returning to watch over the raven haired ANBU again. The little, red, sharp tongued toad had grown into a tall, full fledged solider that his father, the toad king Gamabunta, was proud of. He still had a sharp tongue but now Gamakichi also had the skills to back it up.

"They're like fleas!" the red toad called as he dashed off into the shadows and just missed slicing through one of the enemy before bounding back and helping to defend. "They jump around and make a nuisance of themselves before shooting off and breeding in the shadows when you're not looking."

There was no time to laugh as another barrage of weaponry rained down on them and Naruto had to do some quick work with his katana to deflect the metal projectiles. One made it through and the blond barely managed to stick his hand out in time to stop it from piercing Sasuke in the back of the neck. The senbon stabbed clean through his hand and stopped a mere centimetre from the black hair. There wasn't even time to pull it out before he was once again defending against the next wave of attacks. Seeing an opening and deciding to take care of two problems at once, Naruto yanked the needle from his flesh and flicked it across the room. It hit the enemy in the groin, not a killing blow but damn it would've hurt. There was a lull in the attacks and the blond quickly formed a hand sign while still holding his katana.

"Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"

Ten masked Kitsune clones dashed to the upper levels, their memories returning to Naruto as they were destroyed. He'd taken out another three bad guys at least. They were holding up but Naruto hoped Sasuke would be done soon so they could get the scroll free and clear their mission. He wondered how Kakashi, Gai, and the others were faring but didn't have time to dwell on it as three shinobi ran from the shadows. Two were clones, one was real, and he'd just have to kill them all.

Dashing forward and ducking under a kunai strike, the blond twisted fluidly and came up behind one of the enemy, skewering him through the heart with his katana. As luck would have it, it was the real body and the two clones disappeared in puffs of smoke as the enemy crumpled to the ground convulsing.

_Heh, that was easy._

He turned to check on Sasuke quickly and was surprised to see the Feline standing and flashing through a set of familiar hand signs. Gripping his wrist tightly with his other hand and focusing his chakra, a ball of intensified electrical energy sizzled in Sasuke's hand, making the hairs on the back of Naruto's neck stand up from the charge.

"Oi! What the hell are you doing?" Kitsune demanded and blocked a kunai from its path towards Sasuke's back.

"This is the only way to break through the last barrier." The cat mask turned to face the fox. "It's going to make one hell of a boom."

Naruto nodded in understanding. "Gamatabi, Gamakichi! Get out of here!"

"Right! Try not to die," the red toad yelled over the screeching of Sasuke's jutsu before they both disappeared teleported away.

"You get clear too!" Feline yelled at his team mate.

Naruto just leapt forwards and blocked some more deadly projectiles, these ones exploding seconds after being deflected when the attached tags were released a moment too late.

"Fuck no! Do what you gotta but I'm staying!"

"Hn, moron."

Drawing back the energised hand, Feline slammed it into a symbol drawn on the concrete floor. There was some massive resistance but Sasuke kept pressing down, releasing an angry yell with the effort and trying to fight the force pushing him backwards. A weight on his back helped him to push forward again and a voice spoke in his ear.

"I'm here. Blast it!"

With a massive pulse of chakra and a forceful push from the two young ANBU, the chidori finally broke through. The symbol etched into the concrete cracked and it felt like the whole world exploded. They were both blown backwards and landed hard on the floor as the entire building shook around them, large cracks appearing in the walls and pillars. Rubble and dust peppered the air, making it hard to see and covering everything in a grimy layer of filth.

As soon as they both regained their feet, the Kitsune and Feline were dashing for the exposed scroll. By the time Naruto's hand made contact, Sasuke was already finishing the teleportation jutsu to get them out of there. His hand landed on the blond's shoulder less than a second after Kitsune grasped hold of the scroll. They disappeared in a cloud of chakra smoke as a hail of shuriken and kunai struck where they'd been standing, the entire area going up in flames as the multiple explosive tags were released.

Dirty, bleeding, and breathing hard, the Feline and Kitsune appeared in an alley way outside the building. Sasuke instantly stood and pulled his partner, who had both arms wrapped securely around the large scroll, to his feet.

"Come on. It's up to the others to finish off."

"Yeah, let's get this to the old bag," Kitsune agreed as they took to the roof tops at a breakneck pace.

**Meanwhile…**

The underground hallway where a group of Konoha ANBU stood shook violently from a massive explosion somewhere on the above floors. Large cracks appeared in the ceiling, chunks of plaster falling on the soldiers below, and the whole area might have caved in if it wasn't for the quick actions of Raccoon. Flashing through some hand signs, he released his jutsu and large wooden pillars sprung up along the hallway to create supports and prevent the collapse.

Badger and Sparrow continued working to dispel the jutsu and traps laid on the main entrance to the meeting room. The Tortoise knelt comfortably but at the ready and next to him stood his partner. The Hound leaned against the wall, barely moving during the above explosion, and watching with a fierce intensity as his fellow shinobi worked to gain them access to their targets. Inside, there were approximately forty enemies with wide ranging skills. Hound was neither impatient nor was he eager, he was simply ready to do his duty and carry out his orders to ensure the protection of his village.

There were two entrances to the large rectangular room, the door in front of them and another one at the opposite end. ANBU teams were working to gain access through both and keeping in contact via their radios. Hound, however, just stood quietly and conserved his energy. His mind was focused and his mission clear. He was a living weapon and once those doors opened he was to be unleased. Everyone in that room, regardless of what hitai-ate they wore, was to be killed. He and Tortoise would ascertain their target's location, kill anyone that got in their way while reaching him, execute the former leader of Root, and then proceed to kill any remaining adversaries. The Hokage had ordered them to annihilate and annihilate they would.

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**AN: Dun dun duuun! Oh, if only I could add dramatic music to this section. And you all thought you were getting another nice fluffy chapter full of massages and puppies. FOOLS! All of you! You should know by now I will never give you the expected. I am devious, wily, and scheming! Mwahahahahaha! Tremble at the power of my mind!**

**On that note, I have decided to do something totally ridiculous (why are we not surprised) and begin recruiting soldiers.**

**I shall form a fearsome and formidable army of rabid yaoi fans. You shall be my minions and I will be the supreme Overlord! Together we shall… well, I've not figured that part out yet but I'm sure it will be **_**awesome**_**! Right now I'm just in the recruiting phase. So, if you would like to become one of my minions please review and let me know what amazing power you bring to the army. **

_**My**_** amazing power is to spin incredible tales that have you all foaming at the mouth and ready to do my every bidding at the promise of a new chapter. So, review for me and join my minion force.**

**Oh, and yes you're completely right. I am on an ego trip today. Wheeeee!**

**On a side note, I chose Ibiki to be a badger because they are vicious, muscular little critters with a hell of a temper. It just seemed to suit him. And for those who haven't guessed already, Tenzou/Yamato is Raccoon. His mask markings just reminded me of one... actually, they remind me more of a Red Panda but that would just be too troublesome to write out all the time.**


	18. ANBU and SUN Collide

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I did enjoy writing this chapter very much though.**

**AN: Broke 600 reviews! I love you readers.**

**Edited 2010 at a ridiculously early hour of the morning. Damn you, malfunctioning alarm clock!**

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 18: SUN and ANBU Collide**

_Badger and Sparrow continued working to dispel the jutsu and traps laid on the main entrance to the meeting room. The Tortoise knelt comfortably but at the ready and next to him stood his partner. The Hound leaned against the wall, barely moving during the above explosion, and watching with a fierce intensity as his fellow shinobi worked to gain them access to their targets. Inside, there were approximately forty enemies with wide ranging skills. Hound was neither impatient nor was he eager, he was simply ready to do his duty and carry out his orders to ensure the protection of his village._

_There were two entrances to the large rectangular room, the door in front of them and another one at the opposite end. ANBU teams were working to gain access through both and keeping in contact via their radios. Hound, however, just stood quietly and conserved his energy. His mind was focused and his mission clear. He was a living weapon and once those doors opened he was to be unleased. Everyone in that room, regardless of what hitai-ate they wore, was to be killed. He and Tortoise would ascertain their target's location, kill anyone that got in their way while reaching him, execute the former leader of Root, and then proceed to kill any remaining adversaries. The Hokage had ordered them to annihilate and annihilate they would._

**…**

Waiting was a part of any shinobi's life. They waited for orders, waited for the perfect time to strike a killing blow, waited for injuries to heal before they could depart on the next mission. Patience was a necessary trait for any ninja that wanted to survive past their twentieth year. If a situation was rushed into too quickly, if a clear assessment hadn't been made and all the possible information gathered, it usually resulted in unnecessary death. The ANBU standing in the corridor waited patiently for their captain to gain them entry to the room where their enemies hid. They stood or squatted, each one conserving their strength for the fight to come.

On the other side of the door were an unknown number of opponents with an unknown range of skills. It was not an ideal situation by any means but there was no other choice. At least, the enemy were confined in an enclosed location, if the ANBU team could gain entry and block escape their jobs would be that much simpler. Better an all out slaughter than the irritating task of hunting down and flushing out opponents. Movement from down the corridor alerted the soldiers to Racoon's return.

"Captain," the stocky brunette addressed Badger in a low voice that wouldn't carry to those listening beyond the door, "I have located another entry point. There's a fracture in a wall caused by the explosion earlier."

Badger nodded his head. "How quickly can you gain us entry?"

"I'll need no more than-" Racoon stopped talking immediately as his Captain made the sign for silence and lifted his hand to the radio receiver in his ear.

"Good. Hold position and await further orders," Badger spoke into the transmitter before returning his attention to Racoon. "How long?"

"A few seconds."

"Sparrow, set traps and make sure anyone who tries to open this door dies. Rabbit, assist him."

As their Captain moved down the corridor after Racoon, the rest of the ANBU squad didn't need to be told to follow. The masked shinobi skulked silently down the corridor and came to a stop where a subtle fracture line ran down the wall.

"Clones," Badger ordered and without any of the usual loud pops or smoke the number of masked figures standing in the hallway tripled. As soon as an entry was opened, the clones would go in first to trigger any traps and do the initial recon to determine enemy numbers and locations.

With a nod from his captain, Racoon pointed a finger at the wall, which elongated and turn to wood. Slowly, he penetrated the solid surface and pushed the wood in until it was just shy of breaking through the other side, not alerting the enemy to their new entry point. Detaching the peg from his finger, Racoon looked at Badger and nodded to indicate he was ready. All the shinobi in the hallway readied themselves, pulling out weapons as Badger radioed through to the other squad.

"On the count of ten," Badger murmured quietly into the transmitter and every ANBU in the room automatically began the count in their heads as the clones moved to stand just behind Racoon.

When the count of seven was reached, Badger signalled Racoon who rapidly flashed through hand signs and pressed his palms over the peg. The wood rapidly expanded in a rectangular shape, hollowing in the middle to form a crude door. They broke through the wall just as they heard explosions coming from around the corridor, indicating the other ANBU team had also gained access. As the first shouts of alarm sounded from the room, the clones rushed forward.

**…**

"Reporting in, Hokage-sama."

Feline and Kitsune bowed as they presented Tsunade with the large scroll. The Godaime took the document and passed it immediately to one of the officers from the Torture and Interrogation department to be inspected for traps.

"Status report?" she demanded of the two young ANBU.

"The enemy has barricaded themselves in the lower meeting chamber. When we left, the rest of the squad were attempting to gain entry. Information on the number of opponents was highly inaccurate," Feline reported in a crisp manner. "There is close to one hundred enemies, mostly consisting of foreign shinobi of mixed Chuunin and Jounin ranking."

"What?" Tsunade yelled. "How the hell did that many enemy-nin gain entry into the village undetected?"

"They did have allies among our own, Tsunade-sama. They had assistance from inside the village," Shizune said worriedly from her leader's side.

"_Bastards_," the powerful woman growled before fixing her eyes back on her scroll retrieval team. "Injuries?"

"For us, superficial. We don't know about the rest of the squad because we separated from them to achieve our directive." Kitsune took a step forwards and bowed again. "Permission to return to the battle and assist our comrades, Hokage-sama?"

The Hokage placed her hands on Naruto and Sasuke's shoulders; they felt chakra flowing into them momentarily before she stepped back.

"Kitsune, you have permission to return to the battle. Join those on perimeter watch and prevent any escapees. Do not join the main battle unless absolutely necessary." The amber eyes turned to the cat masked man. "Feline, you are ordered to go home and rest. Your chakra stores are too depleted."

Feline made a noise of protest but was silenced by a raised hand from the Godaime. "You have your orders," she barked, fixing the dark haired man with hard eyes. "_Do not _disobey me. I will not have you getting killed over you damn pride. Dismissed!"

Kitsune clapped a supportive hand on his friend's shoulder before disappearing out the window and sprinting back to the fight. The raven haired shinobi stood for a moment, anger pulsing off him in waves, before he turned and headed for the office door. Sasuke was furious, absolutely furious, but he wouldn't disobey the Hokage. He'd just gained back a tentative trust and he would make sure he didn't lose it, no matter how much his heart was screaming at him to go after his friend.

**…**

The world was bathed in red; the red of blood, the red of fire, and the red of the sharingan. The information gained from the clones that went in first had been invaluable. The Hound knew the location of the enemy, their number, and where a fair few traps lay before he entered the room. One of his clones had even managed to kill two Chuunin before it was taken out by a barrage of senbon. The clones were not meant to last long; they weren't given much chakra and existed for the purposes of reconnaissance and confusing the enemy, making them waste precious weapons. By far, the most important information gained from Hound's clones was the location of his target: Danzo.

The former Root leader was standing with the other delegates in a far corner of the room, protected by a squad of ten Jounin, some of them from Leaf. Tortoise had also gleaned this information from his clones and turned to his team mate.

"We need to disperse the guards," said the taijutsu master as he blocked a blade with his arm guard and caught his opponents wrist, easily snapping it before snapping the mans neck in one deft move.

Hound nodded and dodged a kunai, smoothly catching it midair and nicking his thumb before sending it flying back at the one who had originally thrown the weapon.

"I have a plan." Flashing through impossibly fast hand signs, Hound pressed his palms to the ground, kicking an enemy into Tortoise's deadly grasp as he released the jutsu.

Cracks appeared in the concrete under his hands but nothing else happened. Tortoise had worked with Hound for years, though, and knew exactly what the ANBU had done. Together they dashed across the room, dodging attacks and killing any that got in their way. Hound slowed his pace for less than a second to send a kunai flying towards an enemy about to release a fire Jutsu at Racoon's turned back. He knew he'd killed the woman when no flames lit up the area. The team of guardian Jounin between them and the enemy delegates were completely prepared to meet the attack of the two ANBU bearing down on them at a frightening speed. The Leaf Jounin were familiar to but not associates of the Hound. While he recognised their faces, he only knew the name of one. Izunou Inaru, a man he had completed a mission with a couple of years ago. Sensing the Hound's attention was on him, Inaru paled and his eyes widened as the full force of Hound's killing intent flooded over him. As much as Hound would have loved to ensure he was the one to kill the traitor, he had his mission to complete. The disloyal Leaf Jounin would meet his death in that room, be it by his blade or that of his comrades.

Just as the protective guard was about to attack, the ground beneath their feet and the feet of the delegates suddenly cracked open and upwards surged snarling dogs. The ninken emerged with fangs bared, hackles raised, and loud, hair raising growls. Screams tore the air as the older delegates or those with little fighting skill were hamstringed deftly by those snapping jaws. Two of the enemy Jounin were even hamstrung and fell to the ground to have their throats torn open seconds later by the death dealing canines.

Danzo had managed to leap clear of the ninken's attack and the two ANBU were after him in less than a heartbeat. Although he was old, the two elite Jounin knew better than to underestimate their opponent. Danzo had, after all, trained the members of the ANBU Root division. Thinking of this enemy as a defenceless old man would be like mistaking Tsunade for a simple washer woman. Deadly.

"So, they sent the great Hound and his mighty sidekick Tortoise after me. I'm flattered to be held in such high regard by Tsunade," the bandaged man said calmly as he landed and turned to face his opponents.

Hound didn't bother to answer; he never bothered to answer when his enemies spoke to him. What was the point of talking to a corpse that didn't realise it was dead yet? Tortoise did not share the same opinion, though.

"It will be our honour to serve the Godaime and eliminate you, Danzo, traitor of Konoha."

The old man smirked and bit into his thumb before running the bleeding digit down his walking stick. "Come then," he said calmly as the wood began to glow and lengthen. "Let me see how Tsunade's best fare when fighting the elite of Root."

The glow disappeared and where a walking stick had once been there was a naginata in its place. Danzo rushed forward, brandishing his weapon with speed and skill that completely belied his age. His movements were smooth, strong, and powerful. As the first sharp clang of steel striking steel rang out, two of the Jounin who had been guarding the delegates leapt over to try and protect their leader. Both were Leaf shinobi and came rushing in with swords drawn.

Tortoise instantly engaged them, forcing them back from where Danzo and Hound did battle. Tortoise knew it would be a challenge to defeat these opponents single handed but the Beautiful Green Beast of Konoha did love a good challenge. He started with a series of complex taijutsu moves to test their strength while looking for a convenient opening to strike. They offered none so he stepped up the attack, drawing his own katana and wielding it expertly he attacked with brutal power and raw speed. He smirked as his opponents started looking very nervous.

The skill and speed with which Danzo brandished his naginata was impressive, his movements were sure and smooth and the old man showed no sign of tiring. Unlike the Hound, though, he did not feel the need to remain silent during their battle.

"You are a skilled opponent, rumoured to be the best in all fire country, the best since the three Sanin." A series of hard and fast attacks stopped the flow of words as the older man had to concentrate and avoid being skewered by Hound's blades. "I have to say, Hound, that I am so far underwhelmed."

Hound didn't answer, instead he dodged an attack that split the air just shy of his throat and dropped low to try and gut his opponent. Danzo leapt back from the strike and swept out with the pole of his naginata, managing to strike a blow to the ANBU's porcelain mask. A grunt was heard from Hound and the former Root leader smirked.

"In Root that opening is considered a rookie mistake. If this is the best Tsunade can send I'm not surprised it was so easy to begin this take over. I would offer you a place in our new world, Hound, but like a dog you are loyal to your master, regardless of how narrow minded and short sighted she is." The old man took another fast swipe with his blade and revelled in the fact that the elite ANBU only barely managed to get his arm guard up in time to block the blow. "I have had enough of toying with you, Hound. I will send your remains back to your master after we have dissected them and learned your identity, stolen your abilities, and sown a nice explosive device into your corpse so that Tsunade will hopefully be blown to hell. That is, if I don't kill her first."

A sharp kick struck the Hound in the diaphragm, causing the ANBU soldier to stumble back a step and grunt in pain while the air was forced from his lungs. The former Root leader dashed forward, not giving Hound any time to recover his breath, and pounded him with a series of hard blows. He stuck hard the arms and sides and managed to catch the unguarded neck with a particularly swift strike. Finally, a mistake was made and the opening that would end the battle appeared. With an incredibly fast thrust, the Hound was impaled by the naginata's blade. The metal slid through the white breast plate, soft intestine, and organs to protrude from the back. A great shuddering breath was sucked in and an agonised groan came from behind the white mask. Trembling, claw gloved hands grasped the pole protruding from his stomach in a last ditch effort to remain standing.

"Hound!" Tortoises panicked cry sounded from somewhere off to the side but Danzo ignored it. The ANBU was still engaged with one of _his_ loyal Jounin and nothing short of Tsunade herself could save this man now.

"Pathetic," Danzo muttered, reaching out and taking hold of the symbolic dog mask. "Who is this pathetic solider who is so undeserving of his reputation."

With a sharp yank, the mask fell away and Danzo sucked in a shocked gasp. His own face stared back at him, twisted in agony.

"Wha-"

A high pitched screeching came from behind him less than a second before pain tore through Danzo's body and he looked down to see a hand protruding from the right side of his chest. It blazed with blue lightning. His eyes rose to the clone bearing his face and it smirked at him before dispersing in a crackle of electricity. A savage burst of lightning blazed through his body and the old man screamed in agony as the scent of his own burning insides assaulted his senses. The hand was retracted from his chest and Danzo knew the Hound hadn't finished with him yet as he crumpled to his knees. The fact that the shinobi had decided to take out his right lung instead of his heart was a fair indication that the ANBU wanted something more from him before he died.

What Danzo couldn't have known was that what Hound wanted was to face his opponent as he ended him. Hound wanted to look the man who had tried to tear Konoha apart so many times right in the eye and finish his life. He wanted to look into the eyes of the man who had almost caused the death of his most precious person and put an end to Danzo Shimura permanently. It would have been easy to have just killed him but this traitor did not deserve a quick death. Danzo deserved to have his hopes raised, to feel like he was unstoppable before he realised he'd been toyed with and dispatched so easily. Hound rarely 'played' with his targets but this man deserved despair before he died.

While some would have mocked the traitor, thrown his words back in his face and called him 'pathetic' and 'undeserving of his reputation', the Hound felt he'd gotten his point across nicely with the clone. There was no point in wasting words on a corpse. The Hound faced his opponent and struck out with a clawed hand, ripping through the soft flesh of the throat and tearing out the traitor's jugular as a dog would with a kill. Blood sprayed from the gaping wound and across the unflinching ANBU soldier as Tortoise came to stand at his side.

Danzo was dead before his face hit the ground, his internal organs half cooked, his throat missing, and his life blood pooling on the floor.

"Nice touch, crying out for me."

Tortoise gave a low, sadistic chuckle. "It's not the first time we've run that gag."

"True."

They briefly surveyed the blood soaked room and rapidly failing enemy resistance before leaping back into the battle. There was still work to be done, still enemies to annihilate.

**…**

Darkness had descended upon Fire Country before an exhausted blond staggered through his bedroom window. Barely had his feet touched the floor when his bedroom door was flung open and Sasuke ran into the room. He grabbed the shorter man by the freezing skin of his arms and raked his eyes over his bloodied friend, searching for injuries.

"Are you hurt?" Sasuke demanded and let out a relieved sigh when Naruto shook his head.

Exhausted blue eyes rose to his and sadness shone from their depths. "We killed so many people we thought to be comrades today. They'd sworn an oath to protect this village, this country and her people, but…" The blond head dropped and a sad, trembling sigh escaped lips chapped from dehydration. "I knew so many of their faces as we burnt them. I saw them in the training fields, in the Mission Room handing reports into Iruka-sensei."

Sasuke wrapped his arms around his best friend, the man who'd always held his heart. The embrace was strongly returned and he found himself breathe another sigh of relief. Naruto was home. Everything was alright now; his idiot was back and safe. It didn't matter that he was freezing to the touch from the cold winter night, Sasuke could warm him up. It didn't matter that he smelt of burnt bodies and blood, it wasn't his body that had been burnt, it wasn't his blood. Lips suddenly pressed against his and Sasuke was pulled tighter against the shorter man's lithe frame. The kiss was desperate and hard, a tongue plunging into his mouth as hands grasped at his clothes strong enough to tear.

"Make me forget," Naruto pleaded as the kiss was broken and the jinchūriki pressed against him harder. "Make me feel something other than _this_."

"Of course," Sasuke whispered as he recaptured those lips again.

**…**

Wood splintered under a mighty kick and the following punch shattered the training post completely, sending shards flying all over the training ground. Without breaking stride, Gai dashed to the next training post and began to take out his pent up stress on it, raining blows upon the wood and enjoying the pain that shot through his limbs. It felt good. He felt alive. But, it wasn't enough, it just wasn't enough. That training post split in two with a resounding crack as he released a bellow and slammed his fist against its surface.

"Gai!"

The Jounin spun, crouched and ready to attack, towards the person that called out to him. Across the training ground stood a purple haired kunoichi with a contemplative frown on her face.

"What do you want, Anko?" Gai almost growled out, not bothering with his politeness or exuberance.

All he wanted was to wear himself down until he staggered home and hopefully passed out into a dreamless sleep. It didn't even matter if he made it home, so long as he was worn enough to not dream.

Anko walked toward him slowly, hands raised to show she carried no weapons, and Gai forced himself to relax his stance. This wasn't his enemy, Anko had proven herself to be a loyal shinobi and good friend hundreds of times. The fact that she carried no weapon didn't mean she wouldn't be a formidable opponent but he knew she wouldn't attack him. They were allies, often team mates, and they were friends. As she reached him, Anko slowly reached out and took his bleeding hand in his. The kunoichi's touch was gentle and sure, she was not afraid.

"Come with me," Anko said in a strangely gentle voice. "There are better ways to work off post mission stress than this."

They stood regarding each other for a long time, Gai's breaths coming fast and hard while Anko held his angry and tortured gaze unflinchingly. When she gave a gentle tug and began to move away, the taijutsuist didn't fight it. There was no way he was going reject the offered warmth of another body. He knew Anko would be able to give him release, that she would wear him out in the way he needed.

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**AN: Don't worry, back to KakaIru goodliness next chapter. Hope you enjoyed the fight, I know I certainly enjoyed killing Danzo. Originally, I wasn't going to go into so much detail. It was just going to be a general overview of hazed thoughts from the fight. How everything was bathed in blood and the sounds of battle, blah blah woof woof… but, then the latest chapters of the manga changed my mind and Danzo SO HAD TO DIE! **

**I mapped out many methods of death before settling on this one. So, after a bout of writers block, some hard times at work, and a cheese and mayo sandwich… this is what we ended up with. **

**The next three chapters will contain the scenes that inspired me to start writing this story in the first place.**

**Thank you for taking the time to review and I welcome all the minions to my most excellent Yaoi army. You have bought a startling array of skills and it makes me proud to be your Overlord. It was a great laugh going through your reviews! I'm happy to announce there are about 50 minions now so we are a force to be reckoned with!**


	19. An Uneasy Day and a Shocking Night

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. This is the chapter I had in my head which motivated me to start writing this story though.**

**Edited 2010 and this is still my favourite chapter.**

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I've Got You  
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**Chapter 18: An Uneasy Day and a Shocking Night**

_Anko walked toward him slowly, hands raised to show she carried no weapons, and Gai forced himself to relax his stance. This wasn't his enemy, Anko had proven herself to be a loyal shinobi and good friend hundreds of times. The fact that she carried no weapon didn't mean she wouldn't be a formidable opponent but he knew she wouldn't attack him. They were allies, often team mates, and they were friends. As she reached him, Anko slowly reached out and took his bleeding hand in his. The kunoichi's touch was gentle and sure, she was not afraid._

_"Come with me," Anko said in a strangely gentle voice. "There are better ways to work off post mission stress than this."_

_They stood regarding each other for a long time, Gai's breaths coming fast and hard while Anko held his angry and tortured gaze unflinchingly. When she gave a gentle tug and began to move away, the taijutsuist didn't fight it. There was no way he was going reject the offered warmth of another body. He knew Anko would be able to give him release, that she would wear him out in the way he needed._

**…**

**Eighteen months earlier…**

It had been a ridiculously easy mission, possibly the easiest A-rank mission of all time. The skills and intelligence of the missing Sand shinobi that Kakashi's team had been commissioned to hunt down and capture had been greatly over exaggerated. It had been so over exaggerated that Kakashi had no doubt a group of Chuunin and Genin would have easily rounded up the ninja. Of course, it did help that the group of men were uproariously drunk when they found them and couldn't throw a kunai straight let alone cast a decent jutsu. One of the missing-nin had tried to perform a ninjutsu technique and ended up doing a completely random set of hand signs that resulted in a backfiring earth jutsu. The man had gone flying through the air in a surprisingly elegant arc before landing in the fork of a tree and becoming wedged there. The others had fumbled for weapons desperately and one of them had even resorted to throwing his shoe at Naruto when he couldn't find anything pointy.

Kakashi had been torn between ending the mission quickly so he could get home early and watching the bumbling antics of the drunk shinobi. It was ridiculously entertaining, after all. He had finally settled on sitting in the tree on the wedged Sand-nin's back and watching over his two young team mates as Naruto and Sasuke captured the drunken men. The Leaf Chuunin had treated it as a bizarre training exercise, trading insults and jokes while they rounded up and secured their bumbling targets.

The Copy Ninja watched closely enough to make sure none of the intoxicated men tried to randomly blow something up and chatted with the man beneath him about the down-side to getting drunk in enemy territory. Eventually, Kakashi had stepped off the furious man, grabbed him by his cloak, and wrenched him free before tossing him to the other Leaf shinobi. The man flailed through the air then face planted into the dirt when he didn't have the speed or coherency to catch himself. Naruto had cracked up laughing as Sasuke sighed in disgust and tied the unconscious man to the back of one of his companions.

They had dropped the prisoners off at the T&I department, handed in their mission scroll _early_, eaten some lunch (ramen, of course, seeing as Naruto was involved), and were on their way to a training field when a flash of movement drew their attention. Iruka was dashing through the village at breakneck speed and slowed down just enough to be identified and throw a mischievous grin at Naruto before speeding up again.

"Gotta go," Naruto said with a grin of his own before turning and dashing after his beloved friend.

Sasuke and Kakashi had looked at each other for less than a second, eyebrows raised, before turning and dashing off after the other two men. They'd kept their distance so as not to be noticed but still followed closely enough that when the two Chuunin slowed down near the gate so the guards could identify who was leaving they heard Izumo yell after them, "Don't over do it this time, Ru!"

Things were getting more and more interesting. Kakashi had been watching Iruka for years and was constantly teamed with Naruto on missions; however, he'd never seen anything like this. The familiar comment made by Izumo had indicated it was a regular occurrence, though. After a few minutes, Naruto and Iruka stopped in an open area of forest and pulled out their kunai. Kakashi and Sasuke landed in a tree to watch from a discrete distance. Unlike the sparring match they had expected, the sharingan users were surprised when Naruto began to coach Iruka in the use of wind jutsu. The pale men watched as the blond patiently taught and helped the brunette focus his chakra along the weapons edge, stabilise it, and maintain its structure as the kunai was thrown.

After only an hour, Iruka was panting and his control was slipping. Kakashi pushed up his forehead protector and opened his left eye to check the teacher's chakra levels. They were very low.

"He's burning through his reserves at an unexpectedly fast rate," Sasuke commented quietly, also having activated the sharingan to do the same thing as the Jounin.

"That's what happens when you use an element you're not strong in. Iruka-sensei's a water type, I didn't know he had an affinity with wind too," Kakashi mumbled, wondering how he'd missed that fact for so long.

"He's weak in it," the younger man said in his usual blunt style and Kakashi rolled his eyes before covering the left again.

"That's why he's out here training with someone that's strong, Sasuke."

The Copy-nin ignored the highly imaginative 'Hn' from his raven haired companion and suppressed his chakra tightly. The two men out in the practice area had taken a seat under a tree, obviously giving Iruka time to recover before heading back to the village. Sneaking carefully closer, Kakashi got in range so their conversation drifted up to him.

"I still don't see why you can't give it a shot," Naruto said impassionedly. "You're much stronger than when we first started and the exam's still a few months away. You could do it with me and Sasuke. I'd look after you!"

Iruka laughed in his warm way and leaned back against the trunk of a tree.

"You have to be _strong_ in two elements to become a Jounin and I just don't have the chakra reserves for it. I can shoot around water all day but wind just drains me dry. We've only been practicing for an hour and I'm already done. If I was fighting an enemy and needed to rely on wind techniques I'd be dead." Iruka reached out and ruffled blond hair as a look of horror crossed Naruto's face. Nothing rattled the jinchūriki quite as easily as the thought of his Iruka-sensei dying. "I'm a good solid Chuunin but I'd be a horribly weak Jounin, if I even managed to pass the exam. I can serve the village best where I am, practicing with wind is just to have an extra edge in battle should I ever need it. Besides, you can't look after me in an exam, that's as good as cheating and would just put me at a disadvantage when sent out on hard missions. I'd endanger my team."

"Then you'll just have to be on my team! You could go on a team with me and the bastard and Kakashi-pervert! We'll all protect you."

_Damn right I will but I don't want Iruka on the missions I run_, Kakashi thought as he frowned at Naruto for calling him a pervert in front of the teacher.

He liked that Iruka's position kept him safely in the village most of the time with the occasional C or B-rank mission. He didn't want the dark haired man out doing A and S-rank missions, especially if Kakashi couldn't grantee he'd be on Iruka's team to keep him safe.

"Idiot," Iruka chided gently. "If I need protection I shouldn't be on the mission. I'd put you and Sasuke in danger and just slow Kakashi-sensei down. Besides, who else would be able to teach the little hellions and deal with those insufferably crazy shinobi in the Mission Office if I suddenly became an all powerful Jounin?"

Naruto mulled over that thought for a moment. "You have a point there, the Jounin do torture the desk staff when you're not around and you are the best teacher in the village, Iruka-sensei."

Iruka chuckled and got to his feet. "You're the sensei today, teaching me to control my wind element like that." The gentle smile turned a little devious and Kakashi felt his breath hitch at the delicious sight. "You know what that means, don't you, Naruto-sensei?"

"W-what?" the blond stammered, blushing bright red at being called 'sensei' by one of his most respected people.

"You get to buy me RAMEN!" Iruka yelled, throwing his hands in the air in a perfect imitation of his young companion and causing the hidden shinobi to choke back a laugh.

"_Whaaat_?" Naruto cried, leaping to his feet and taking off after the dark haired Chuunin walking back toward the village. "But, Iruka-sensei, you always buy me ramen. It's- it's like a _tradition_!" the blond exclaimed, turning huge blue eyes on his fellow Chuunin.

Iruka laughed and shook his head. "I can smell the pork ramen you had for lunch and too much isn't good for you, so how about you come over for dinner instead. I was going to make tempura tonight."

Naruto let out a happy whoop and grinned in his cheeky way. "Hey, sensei, do you think I'll pass the Jounin exam?"

"Well," Iruka scratched his chin as if giving the question serious thought, "you're already insufferable and crazy so I guess it's only fitting you get the rank too go with it."

Naruto's loud objection effectively hid the chuckle that escaped the silver haired Jounin following them silently in the trees above.

**End flashback.**

**…**

With a satisfied sigh, Iruka pulled out the sink's plug and watched as the water drained away. He had just washed his dishes from dinner and was feeling quite proud of the day's efforts. Iruka had managed to look after himself all day without any assistance from anyone. Kakashi had left before he'd roused from sleep that morning. What had woken him was a strange sense of unease, there had been no reason to feel on edge but his instincts were telling him that all was not right in his home village. When he'd entered the house's living area, there had been no sign of Kakashi except for the merrily crackling fire chasing off the winter chill. It wasn't until he'd gone to make a cup of tea that he'd found the note on the kitchen bench.

_Been called to duty, don't know what time I'll be home. Fridge and house are yours; try not to pass out anywhere too uncomfortable. I've set traps so stay inside today. Have also hidden the Icha Icha collection, can't have you burning it in my absence. See you later._

It was signed with a henohenomoheji. The note itself was innocent enough except for that one short sentence right in the middle, 'I've set traps so stay inside today'. Iruka never ventured out further than the yard without Kakashi's aid or the company of the ninken, so why would the Jounin be locking him in? To be more precise, why was the Jounin locking the world out? Iruka had had the distinct impression that this was exactly what his elite friend was trying to do. Instead of worrying over it too much, the injured teacher had taken a deep breath and lectured himself that there was nothing he could do about it anyway. It was better to just go about the day as normal and wait for Kakashi to return home.

The day had been quiet and pleasant enough; he had made and eaten a simple breakfast before settling in the lounge room and playing his guitar for awhile. Kakashi had surprised him with it the day before and Iruka couldn't have been more grateful. He'd leapt on the Jounin and given him a huge hug before setting to work tuning the strings. The silver haired shinobi had flopped down on the couch next to him and whipped out his ever present porn, single eye smiling delightedly as Iruka played a few simple melodies and scolded him for reading that filth all the time. Iruka smiled softly at the memory, the copy-nin had looked so happy for some reason.

After he'd played for a while that morning, Iruka had slept until lunchtime. He'd awoken and made himself a small meal then decided to do some light housework. The teacher had put fresh sheets on the bed before carrying a load of dirty washing through to the laundry and setting them to wash. He'd ended up making it as far as the couch again before sleeping away another couple of hours and waking to put the damp clothes into the dryer. He put some fresh logs on the fire and curled up in the armchair with a good book he'd borrowed from Kakashi's vast collection. The ding of the dryer had him once again venturing through to the laundry, carrying the clean load back to the bedroom, and putting it all away. Just doing simple, everyday household tasks had him feeling content in a way he'd not felt for weeks, even if doing the easiest job took him three times as long as it usually would and far more energy than it should. Another quick nap on the bed had taken him to dinner time.

Iruka dried the dishes and put them away before wiping the remaining water droplets from the stainless steel surface of the sink. It was crazy how much he was sleeping but no matter how much he slept during the day he still crashed out into a deep slumber every night. Even at that moment he felt tired after cooking a simple vegetable stir-fry with steamed rice and cleaning up the kitchen. He'd made sure to cook extra and store it in the fridge so Kakashi could reheat and eat it if hungry when he got home. It was only seven but the evening was cold and darkness had fallen. The fire was doing a valiant job at keeping the chill out of the air and Iruka was grateful for its hard work.

In his small apartment, Iruka had only had an old electric heater that chewed through far too much electricity for putting out such a small amount of heat. The teacher had tended to spend winter evenings wrapped up in many blankets with double socks on his feet. The Jounin's house was well built and kept the heat in nicely. Iruka was dressed in his new grey pyjama pants and white t-shirt with a pair of thick white socks and was only just starting to get a bit chilled. He'd felt warm for a long time after his very hot shower, his skin flush pink and the bathroom filled with clouds of sandalwood scented steam. He could still smell the earthy fragrance faintly in the air.

Wandering through to the lounge room, Iruka made sure the fire would smoulder down safely before picking up his book and heading for bed. Reading until he fell asleep would be a good end to the day and hopefully when he awoke Kakashi would be home and his sense of unease would have vanished. He'd missed the older man's company that day, Iruka had grown use to his presence. Though they didn't always talk, they often kept each other company, Kakashi reading while Iruka wandered slowly around the house doing small bits and pieces or curling up near by for a nap. The older man frequently teased him into blushes or small bouts of embarrassed anger and then there were their quick witted banter sessions. Iruka enjoyed them very much and had missed the conversation that day.

As he passed the staircase, the uneasy feeling that had been with him all day slightly increased. His instincts were whispering to him that something in the house was off, that something had changed, and he never ignored his instincts. Freezing in place, the academy sensei listened intently. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, the wind blowing howling outside and the occasional pop or crackle from the fire were the only sounds to be heard. He wished he had some chakra to flare out with and search the house for another presence. Not for the first time, Iruka thought about how much it would suck to be a civilian with no chakra at all. As he stood still and silent, focused on his surroundings, a cool draft of air drifted down the stair case and wafted over his skin making it prickle with both the cold and nerves. He knew that Kakashi would have locked up and trapped all the entry points of the house including the second storey windows.

_Is someone upstairs or is it temperature displacement because the fire's burning down?_

Walking silently on socked feet to the nearest book case, he placed his novel on a worn shelf and slipped a kunai from its hiding place between two scrolls. He'd found it hidden there a few days ago when searching for something to read and had taken note of its location as any good shinobi would. At that moment, he was immensely glad he'd spied it. Holding the kunai at the ready, the Chuunin skulked towards the stairs and paused at the base to listen. No noise came from above but that didn't mean there wasn't someone up there. He quickly assessed the situation.

He was in Konoha so the chances that it was an enemy ninja were slim at best. Plus, he was in the home of Hatake Kakashi and it was also unlikely that someone had gotten past his traps without making a single sound. He could try and make his way out the front door and go for help but that was also trapped and the likelihood of him making it out in one piece was slim to say the least. It would also be horribly embarrassing if it turned out to be nothing and he'd interrupted another ninja's evening just because he was jumping at shadows, not to mention he would be inviting someone into the highly private Jounin's territory.

Mentally berating himself, he started to climb the stairs quietly and slowly. He was a soldier of Fire Country for goodness sake, he was not weak and before the battle would never have thought of going for help if he suspected someone was in his home.

_I was also at full health and had the use of chakra_, the logical side of his brain interjected unhelpfully.

He was already half way up the stairs and there was no way he would turn back now. If there was an enemy in the house it was better to face them than lock himself in a room and hide like a frightened child. Regardless of his weakened state, the Chuunin would always choose to go out fighting than wait to be hunted down and slain. He'd just have a look around the dojo and run at the first sign of trouble. It was probably nothing anyway, likely he was just being paranoid because of the strange unease he'd been feeling all day.

Nearing the top of the stairs, Iruka gazed around the large room carefully. Nothing seemed to be out of place. Soft moonlight shone through the large windows and bathed the room in a pale glow. It looked peaceful, tranquil, and Iruka let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. The tension through his shoulders eased and he felt the strange need to both laugh and curse at himself for his over active imagination. There was no one here, the windows were all closed securely and everything was calm. He must just be more tired than he'd thought and that simple climb up the stairs had exhausted him further. Thank goodness it was nothing.

A clatter on the stairs behind him had Iruka's heart instantly slamming against his rib cage. As he swiftly turned with the kunai raised and ready to strike, his eyes focused on an object that hadn't been there moments ago. Lying a few steps below was an ANBU mask, the features eerily still and the empty eyes seeming to stare right at him. Realisation hit.

_Oh shit! He's behind me!_

Iruka spun back towards the room and came face to face with a tall, dark mass. All the Chuunin could focus on was a pair of furious eyes, one blood red and spinning wildly as it glowed in the pale moon light. Instinct had Iruka jerking backwards with a shocked gasp, away from the deadly gaze and forgetting he was at the top the stairs. His socked foot slipped off the step and he fell through the air, crying out in fright as his eyes went wide in shock.

A number of things happened so fast were simultaneous for the falling man. The kunai was wrenched from his grasp as a clawed hand slipped around the back of his neck. With a flick of the wrist, the weapon was sent flying across the training room to become embedded in the far wall. The hand that had disarmed him reached across his body and grasped hold of his hip firmly, stopping his decent. The stunned Chuunin found himself lying almost horizontally in the air, supported effortlessly by only a powerful pair of hands. A large body was pressed up against his side and Iruka's hand had tried to uselessly grasp onto the ANBU breastplate but a slippery substance that he knew could only be blood prevented him for getting a grip. His t-shirt stood out starkly white against to the grime covered breastplate in the moon light. The rancid scent of blood, entrails, burnt flesh, and ozone assaulted his senses as his left hand latched onto the arm guard crossing over his body. There had been a battle, a bloody, violent, and vicious battle where many justsu were cast and the bodies of enemies burnt afterwards.

Iruka knew it was Kakashi, had known it since he saw those eyes, but the murderous look in them had been enough to make even the most hardened soldier back away in self preservation. The elite Jounin was leaning over the precariously positioned teacher with mismatched eyes narrowed dangerously and locked onto the wide and frightened brown. Iruka's heart felt like it was trying to pound its way out of his chest and he could only suck in shallow breaths as he tried to steady it. A part of him had no doubt that Kakashi could hear every rapid thump it made.

Oh, he was in a _really_ bad situation. With that much blood covering the Jounin's armour, it was obvious the mission had been a terrible one and Kakashi was clearly in a post mission haze. The teacher had had no idea that the man was in ANBU, let alone that he'd been living with the legendary and deadly _Hound_! He'd recognised the mask the moment he'd seen it but until he'd faced the furious mismatched eyes Iruka would have never guessed that the Hound was his laid back, porn loving, silver haired friend.

"Kakashi?" he whispered, hoping to not anger the larger male further and perhaps have him recognise that Iruka was a friend and not enemy.

The fact that Kakashi had caught him instead of letting him fall to what would have likely been his death was a good indication that the older man knew Iruka was at least not a threat and therefore not worth killing. The gloved hand at the back of his neck shifted without decreasing its support and for a second Iruka wondered if he'd been wrong in his assumption. Instead of any pain or the points of those deadly claws, the injured Chuunin felt a finger press into this hair. With a downwards tug, a claw sliced through the tie holding his hair in a low ponytail and the dark strands fell loose in a damp, sandalwood scented curtain. Iruka wasn't quite sure what to make of Kakashi's movement but he certainly wasn't going to protest. One wrong move could see him dead and as frightened as he was feeling; Kakashi was still his precious friend and would suffer terribly if he killed a defenceless ally. He had to try and talk the Jounin down, make him realise there was no need to keep fighting and that he was safely back in his own home.

"Kakashi. It's alright. You're home now," Iruka said in a low and soothing tone. He loosened the tight grip he had on the arm guard and pressed the palm of his other hand to the chest plate in gesture he hoped would be taken as friendly. "It's Iruka. You're home, the mission's over. You're back, Kakashi."

There was a long moment where the narrowed mismatched eyes continued to stare at him, the ANBU soldier remaining motionless and silent. Iruka's heart was still trying to escape out his chest and his back was starting to ache from being so tense and in the awkward position. He'd managed to calm his breathing but his mind was racing a million miles a minute. He wasn't dead yet, which was a very good sign that Kakashi recognised him as a fellow Konoha shinobi. There had been no change in the situation, though, and Iruka was honestly too scared to try and move from such a dangerously balanced position. The way Kakashi was so motionless, holding all his weight easily at the odd angle, was indescribably unnerving. The sharingan continued to spin menacingly and Iruka felt as if it were mapping out his very soul. It was incredibly hard to hold that gaze and return it with one he hoped transmitted only friendship and comfort.

There was a slight movement and then Kakashi was slowly lowering his head, the Chuunin felt a cloth covered nose touch the exposed skin at the juncture of his neck and shoulder. The Copy Ninja slid his nose up the Iruka's neck, inhaling deeply as he slowly made his way to an ear. Iruka's skin broke into goosebumps as the dark fabric brushed along his skin and his heart started thumping harder for a completely different reason than fear. As the masked nose reached the incredibly sensitive area just below his earlobe, the clawed hands tightened slightly and pulled him closer to the Jounin's solid body. Iruka sucked in a shallow breath and suppressed a shiver. However, there was no way he could have stopped the tremble that moved through his whole body a moment later when the long breath the ANBU had taken was released right next to his ear in a deep, hungry _growl_.

Iruka's eyes closed of their own accord as the shudder of mixed fear and excitement travelled through his whole body and he knew the Jounin would have felt it. Dark eyes opened again to find the mismatched ones once more focused on him, this time swirling with burning hunger and lust rather than the terrible fury from before. It was impossible to concentrate on anything but those blazing eyes. To have the ANBU looking at him in such a way was completely surreal. Iruka had fantasised about Kakashi finding him attractive and wanting him as more than a friend, but he'd always known it wasn't possible. The Jounin was straight and he'd accepted that. But, that look made Iruka feel like a hot dinner in front of a starving dog, just moments away from being completely devoured. With some effort he swallowed past the thickness in his throat and reached for his friend's masked cheek slowly.

"Kaka-"

Iruka cut himself off with a shocked gasp as the strong hands that had been holding him so secure suddenly released and pulled away. Eyes went wide and stared disbelievingly into the unchanged pair above him as he fell. Kakashi had let him go.

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**AN: quick update this time and it's been awhile since I left you all with a cliff-hanger of **_**doom**_**. Ha, let the furious reviews commence.**

**So, that section on the stairs was the scene that motivated me to begin writing this story in the first place. It was just so good I had to build an idea around it. Then there was months of mulling it over before finally deciding to start an account and post to FanFiction. Never even occurred to me that so many of you would actually like it. Well, I'm sure many of you like me a whole lot less ending the chapter this way. Don't fret, I'll update soon… maybe (Mwuahahaha!).**


	20. Spearmint and Sandalwood

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I also don't own the song that Iruka sings. It's from a wonderful Australian artist called Missy Higgins and the song is titled 'Nightminds'.**

**AN: I had to get this chapter out. The shadows… they kept **_**laughing**_** at me! (Check out the review for last chapter from TaintedTeaParty, it's brilliant.)**

**Edited 2010 and the shadows are still laughing at me.**

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 20: Spearmint and Sandalwood**

_Iruka's eyes closed of their own accord as the shudder of mixed fear and excitement travelled through his whole body and he knew the Jounin would have felt it. Dark eyes opened again to find the mismatched ones once more focused on him, this time swirling with burning hunger and lust rather than the terrible fury from before. It was impossible to concentrate on anything but those blazing eyes. To have the ANBU looking at him in such a way was completely surreal. Iruka had fantasised about Kakashi finding him attractive and wanting him as more than a friend, but he'd always known it wasn't possible. The Jounin was straight and he'd accepted that. But, that look made Iruka feel like a hot dinner in front of a starving dog, just moments away from being completely devoured. With some effort he swallowed past the thickness in his throat and reached for his friend's masked cheek slowly._

_"Kaka-"_

_Iruka cut himself off with a shocked gasp as the strong hands that had been holding him so secure suddenly released and pulled away. Eyes went wide and stared disbelievingly into the unchanged pair above him as he fell. Kakashi had let him go._

**…**

His hands slipped from the armguard and breastplate, blood acting as lubricant and stopping him from managing to get a grip. He was falling. Falling away from those strong arms that he'd trusted to protect him, falling from his comrade and beloved friend, falling away from those intense mismatched eyes that still watched him with blazing hunger. Iruka now realised that the hunger could not be for him. Kakashi was not hungering for his body or mind or heart, Kakashi was hungering for his death.

_Oh God, I'm going to die._

Just as the thought flashed through his mind, an almost painful shock travelled throughout his entire body. Every muscle and fibre of his being tensed completely rigid as the first sensation of his back coming into contact with another surface registered. However, the painful twisting of bone and muscle as it moulded around the unyielding wooden steps never came. Instead, the Chuunin found himself sinking slightly into softness before bouncing up a tiny amount and settling.

Wide chocolate eyes darted wildly around the room in absolute bafflement as Iruka dragged in ragged breaths and his heart hammered violently in his chest. He'd automatically scrabbled up into a half sitting position, knees bent and hands fisted in soft fabric. The bedroom. They were in the bedroom. When the hell had Kakashi teleported them? It could only have been when the ANBU growled in his ear and Iruka had closed his eyes for a moment. Damn that man had superbly controlled chakra if the Chuunin hadn't even been aware of their change in location, regardless of how distracted he'd been at the time.

His eyes quickly settled back on the man towering over his prone form. The Jounin's mismatched gaze was narrowed and dark with unfathomable emotion. Iruka's breath hitched as the tall man leaned forward, a bloodied claw tipped hand reaching for him. Whatever happened, Iruka knew he couldn't fight. Kakashi was still in mission mode and any resistance could be taken as a possible threat. All the teacher could do was remind himself to stay calm and remember that his friend needed his acceptance and support more than ever before. Whatever happened next, Iruka would not hold it against the Copy Ninja.

Kakashi, however, froze. His eyes went wide, panicked, and began flicking between Iruka's chest and his own hand.

"No," the older man suddenly gasped out and stumbled back a couple of steps. "Oh God, No! What have I done?"

The mismatched eyes were wide and horror struck. Iruka had no idea what was going on but was starting to seriously panic about his friend's mental state.

"Kakashi? What is it?" he managed to ask in a calm voice that completely belied his internal alarm. Shifting slowly to the edge of the bed, the teacher stood with hands held palm up to show he carried no weapons.

Kakashi just continued to look between his own hands and Iruka's chest. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry. What have I done? _What_ _have I_ _done_?"

At the ANBU's frantic mumbling, Iruka looked down at himself and saw that the half of his t-shirt that had been held against the Jounin was soaked through with blood. There were also blood smears on his pants where the gloved hand had caught him.

_Oh shit, he thinks he attacked me!_

"It's alright, Kakashi. It's not mine, you haven't done anything." Moving slowly and ignoring the warning voice screaming at him not to take his eyes off a potential assailant, Iruka pulled his t-shirt over his head and used the clean half to wipe away any remaining traces of blood from his skin. "See, I'm fine. I'm not hurt at all, not even a scratch. It's not my blood."

The mismatched gaze locked onto Iruka's bruised but otherwise undamaged stomach and chest as clear relief filled his eyes. The tall frame drooped and a shuddering breath hissed out from behind the mask. Iruka could clearly see the Jounin was exhausted and needed help. Forcing aside his trepidation about approaching the edgy ANBU, the Chuunin walked slowly forward, dropping his ruined top to the floor.

"Kakashi, you're home. It's all over." Iruka reached the Jounin who had watched his approach motionlessly even as his eyes continued to look over the teacher for any signs of a wound, the sharingan spinning wildly. "You know it's me. Please, let me help you."

The grey and red eyes focused on him and Iruka knew how much chakra the sharingan used. All his movements were slow and obviously predictable as he reached up with a hand and laid it over the chakra draining eye, blocking all its vision. Almost instantly, Kakashi signed in relief and his head drooped forward. Iruka took his first good look at the shinobi and was horrified to see just how much blood the older man was covered in. Even the silvery strands of his hair were darkened with soot and streaks of brownish red. It must have been a horrendous battle. Iruka needed to get the man cleaned up. He took a clawed hand in his, keeping the other firmly over the sharingan.

"Come on," he said gently, "let's get this muck off you."

They walked through to the bathroom slowly, Iruka moving backwards so he could guide the exhausted Jounin and continue covering the red eye. The younger man flicked on the light switch with his elbow and made sure to face Kakashi away from the mirror so the Jounin wouldn't see the state he was in.

"Can you keep your eye closed for me?" Iurka asked.

"Yes."

Dropping his hand away, the teacher was relieved to see the scarred eyelid was lowered. He needed both his hands to get Kakashi out of his uniform. Deftly, the younger man undid the buckles of the chest plate and slipped it off, tossing it to the corner of the room where gloves, armguards, boots, and wrappings quickly followed. Next to go would be the Jounin's singlet and mask then the pants.

"Hold on for a moment."

Iruka set the bathtub to fill, adding in some of the spearmint scented shampoo Kakashi favoured to froth in the water and perfume the air. It would help hide the metallic scent of blood from Kakashi's sensitive nose and hopefully overwhelm the lingering odour of battle on his skin. Quickly digging around in the bathroom cupboard, the teacher retrieved a hand towel.

"Trust me, ok?"

The older man nodded tiredly and Iruka closed his eyes. He felt for Kakashi's singlet and pulled it up and over the Jounin's head. Blindly, he tied the towel around the lower half of Kakashi's face and only opened his eyes again once he was sure it was secured. The makeshift mask concealed more of his friend's face than the black mask and Iruka was satisfied with his work. Tugging open the fastenings of the black ANBU pants, he drew them down and waited for the older man to step out of them. Ignoring the glorious display of pale skin, Iruka checked over the Jounin's body and took note of his injuries. It was obvious Kakashi had already received medical attention as any fresh cuts had been healed to an almost scared state. Iruka was relieved because his friend wouldn't be in pain when he used soap to wash away the grime.

The bath had filled enough that it would almost overflow when Kakashi climbed in and Iruka shut off the taps, mint scented steam rose from the bubbled surface invitingly. Leading his mostly naked friend to the shower section, the teacher sat the Jounin down on the low stool and ran water from the spigot until it was warm. Gently, he soaped and cleaned the exhausted, battle worn body, making sure to rub soothingly at tense muscles and carefully wash away all traces of grime from skin and hair. Once Iruka had washed him twice and the older man smelt of mint rather than death, Iruka shut off the water.

"I'm going to go heat you up some food. Will you be alright?" Iruka asked, running his fingers through the wet silver hair and brushing it back from the Jounin's closed eyes.

The silver head shook slightly and a sad grey eye opened to look up at him. "Stay?"

There was no force on Earth that would move him if Kakashi didn't want him to go. "Of course."

Iruka helped his friend to stand and closed his eyes until he heard the wet underwear land in the corner with the rest of the ANBU uniform, the bath water settle, and the older man release a deep, relieved sigh. The bubbles hid anything private from view; all that could be seen was a head half concealed by the fluffy hand towel. The teacher took another hand towel from the cupboard and draped it over the Jounin's head, angling it so that it covered the sharingan eye but left the other with an unobstructed view. Iruka didn't want to leave his friend alone but his adrenaline was still running high and he needed something to busy himself with. Cleaning the ANBU uniform would be useful but he worried it would also upset Kakashi. He needed something not mission related, something that would help Kakashi wind down from the mission stress. His mind drifted back to the day before and he knew of the perfect thing.

"I'll only be a few moments, promise," he said quietly and slipped from the bathroom.

Hurrying as fast as he could in his state, Iruka retrieved his guitar from the lounge room and headed back to where the silver haired Jounin awaited him, immersed in hot water that would hopefully sooth his sore muscles. He remembered how happy Kakashi had been when he'd played the previous afternoon and was confident it would help.

"I'm back," he called gently as he slipped into the bathroom and sat next to the bath tub, leaning against the cupboard under the sink.

Only when his skin hit the cold door did he realise he was still shirtless. He ignored his discomfort; the wood would warm quickly enough. Kakashi's eye had cracked open and widened further when he'd seen the guitar. Iruka gave him a warm smile and began to play; picking soothing tunes that had always relaxed him after a hard day. Kakashi's eye drifted closed again, the tension lines on his forehead slowly smoothing out. After Iruka had played for awhile, adjusting the strings until they sounded just right, he automatically began strumming a tune he'd known since his childhood. One that held a very dear place in his heart. Casting a quick glance at the man in the bath, the Chuunin decided that just this once it wouldn't hurt for someone else to hear the words, someone who was in need of them. Taking a deep breath, Iruka began to sing.

"Just lay it all down."

Kakashi's eye snapped open in surprise at the rich, even voice.

"Put your face into my neck and let it fall out. 'Cos I know, I know, I know… I knew before you got home. That this world you're in now, it doesn't have to be alone. I'll get there somehow. 'Cos I know, I know, I know… when even springtime feels cold."

Iruka closed his eyes and he could almost hear his mother's voice singing along with him, certain that somewhere his father was smiling at the words written especially for him.

"But, I will learn to breathe this ugliness you see, so we can both be there and we can both share the dark. And in our honesty, together we will fly out of our nightminds and into the light at the end of the fight.

You were blessed by a different kind of inner view. It's so magnified. The highs will make you fly but the lows make you want to die. And I was once there, hanging from that very ledge where you are standing. So I know, I know, I know… it's easier to let go."

Kakashi breath hitched at the truth behind those words as they hit far too close to home.

"But, I will learn to breathe this ugliness you see so we can both be there and we can both share the dark. And in our honesty, together we will fly out of our nightminds and into the light at the end of the fight."

As he strummed the closing cords, a warm hand took hold of his shoulder. Iruka's eyes snapped open and he was surprised to see Kakashi kneeling before him with a towel wrapped around his waist. He'd not heard the Jounin get out of the water. But, Iruka was glad to see that the tension had left the older man's body and the grey eye was once again calm and clear.

"Where's it from?" Kakashi asked in a low voice.

Iruka gave a small smile. "My mother wrote it for my father, for when he would come home from difficult missions and had trouble letting go. It reminded him that he wasn't alone and there was someone willing to go through the darkness with him no matter how hard it got." Iruka placed his hand over Kakashi's on his shoulder. "I've never played that for anyone before but I want you to know that you don't have to go through these things alone. You were there for me, now I'm here for you."

A myriad of emotions flickered through the stormy grey eye as it widened at Iruka's words. With an audible swallow the Copy-nin closed the revealing orb and Iruka watched as a tear ran down a pale cheek to soak into the towel. The guitar was taken from his hands and placed on the floor moments before he and Kakashi were embracing each other, holding the other close.

"Thank you."

**…**

Kakashi watched the shadows playing across the ceiling of his bedroom and thought back over the evening, brutally banishing any memories that occurred before he'd returned home. Iruka had held him for a long time in the bathroom, held him close with all his limited strength and let Kakashi to weep silently away the trauma of the day. After he'd shed all the tears he could, Kakashi had pulled away and lifted a hand to remove the towel covering his face.

He'd wanted to reveal all to Iruka. The Chuunin already knew his deadly ANBU persona, his erratic Jounin self, and the man he was at home. Iruka knew all and hadn't run; he'd stayed and washed away the blood, soothed the hurt, and chased away the darkness. Kakashi wanted to give all of himself, everything he was, to this man. But, a gentle hand had stopped him.

"Don't Kakashi. Not tonight. You've been through too much and I don't want you to make any decisions like this right now. If tomorrow you decide you want to I'll respect that, but don't let out too much tonight. The day's been too hard."

That hand had instead coaxed him to stand and walk back to the bedroom. Half way there, Iruka's body had given out. The adrenaline had cleared from his system, leaving him seriously weakened from the overly active and stressful evening. Kakashi had caught and gently lifted the teacher into his arms then carried him through to the bedroom. Laying Iruka carefully on the bed, the Copy-nin had quickly pulled on some clean clothes for sleep and slipped an eye patch over the sharingan.

Stripping away the damp, blood stained pants from Iruka; The Jounin had redressed him in a pair of his own soft black ones, respectfully averting his eye from the Chuunin's momentary nakedness. Just as he was about to leave, a hand had weakly clasped his wrist.

"Stay?"

Kakashi dared the world to try and stop him. "Of course."

He lay with a bruised arm draped over his stomach and a warm body pressed to his side. Everything around him smelt of sandalwood and spearmint instead of blood and death, his was mask slipped down so he could inhale deeply the scent of Iruka's hair. The only sounds were the wind outside and the gentle breaths of his Chuunin. Kakashi's arms were filled with the still too skinny body of the man he held so dear in his heart. The man who, the next day, would get to see all of the mysterious Copy Ninja, the man Kakashi would finally confess his love to.

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**AN: the song **_**Nightminds**_** seemed perfect for a shinobi's life, standing on the edge, darkness all around, but there's someone willing to go through it with you. Have a listen to the song if you don't already know it. It's quite beautiful.**

**So I didn't kill Iruka. You knew I wouldn't but I have to admit I was half tempted to just to throw you all off big time! *Sigh* but then the rest of the fiction would fall in a big hole and they still need to kiss.**

**What? Huh? Who mentioned them kissing? It's finally going to happen in the next chapter? **_**Really**_**?**

**Hmm, you'd best leave me a review then.**


	21. Clones and Confessions

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I did give Kakashi that tea set though.**

**AN: Merry Christmas my lovelies! Stay safe, eat too much, drink plentiful amount, and give your loved ones lots of hugs and kisses! Happy Holidays ^_^**

**Edited 2010 in the company of a rather sorry looking house plant.**

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 21: Clones and Confessions**

_Stripping away the damp, blood stained pants from Iruka; The Jounin had redressed him in a pair of his own soft black ones, respectfully averting his eye from the Chuunin's momentary nakedness. Just as he was about to leave, a hand had weakly clasped his wrist._

_"Stay?"_

_Kakashi dared the world to try and stop him. "Of course."_

_He lay with a bruised arm draped over his stomach and a warm body pressed to his side. Everything around him smelt of sandalwood and spearmint instead of blood and death, his was mask slipped down so he could inhale deeply the scent of Iruka's hair. The only sounds were the wind outside and the gentle breaths of his Chuunin. Kakashi's arms were filled with the still too skinny body of the man he held so dear in his heart. The man who, the next day, would get to see all of the mysterious Copy Ninja, the man Kakashi would finally confess his love to._

**…**

A loud cry from a passing bird stirred Iruka from sleep. Taking a deep breath before giving an wide yawn, he cracked open an eye and peered at the pale morning light filtering in from a gap between the curtains. Either it was very early or it was a heavily overcast day. Judging by the howling wind outside, Iruka decided to bet on it being overcast. The blankets were tucked tightly around him, trapping him in a cacoon of warmth, and Iruka knew that Kakashi was long gone. Memories from the previous night tumbled through his mind as sleepy, chocolate eyes stared at the pillow the Jounin had used during the night. Iruka had fallen asleep with Kakashi's arms holding him tight, his head resting on a pale shoulder, and his arm hooked around the older man's narrow waist. That morning, he was alone and wondering where his friend had gone.

_My friend, Sharingan Kakashi, the Copy Ninja… the __Hound__._

Iruka was still awed that he'd been living under the same roof as the most famous black ops ninja in all of Fire Country for a month without suspecting a thing. Hell, he'd even talked about the Hound with Kakashi over the dinner table. The teacher flushed as he remembered making some inane comment about how strange it would be if the ANBU legend was someone he talked to everyday. There had been no way to know the one he'd been speaking of was also the one he was speaking to.

The memory of clawed hands catching him and holding him safe atop the stairs floated into his mind. The sharp claws had pressed against his skin but never pierced, even when Kakashi had tightened his grip they hadn't given him so much as a scratch. It was amazing that although the ANBU had been so deep in post mission haze, he'd still been aware enough to protect and hold Iruka safe. Any other ANBU in that state likely would have killed him the moment he'd appeared holding a weapon. But, Kakashi had disarmed him, caught him, held him, and teleported them to another area of the house without hurting him in the least.

That wasn't to say the entire experience hadn't been one of the biggest mind-fucks he'd ever been through! The motionless staring, the incredible moment when the Jounin had run his nose up Iruka's neck and growled like a demanding lover. The memory of that moment made his skin break into goosebumps like it had the night before and Iruka swallowed thickly. What had occurred after that – when Kakashi had let him go – was one of the most confusing and frightening moments in his entire life. Then discovering they were in the bedroom... the entire experience was not one he was keen to repeat. The most confusing thing, though, had been that raw hunger in Kakashi's eyes. If the blood on his shirt hadn't shocked the Jounin from his haze, Iruka was pretty sure Kakashi would have relieved his mission stress in a very, _very_ different way.

While Iruka was undoubtedly attracted to the Jounin and had grown to love him as a friend and – if he was to be honest – more than a friend in the month they'd spent together, he would have been horribly hurt being used as post mission relief. He would never have blamed Kakashi for it and it wouldn't have changed his opinion of the man in the slightest, but the part of him that foolishly dreamed Kakashi might one day feel more than friendship for him would have been deeply hurt. It was best that it never happened, no matter how much a part of him desperately wished it had. It likely would have been rough and painful but he could have held Kakashi in his arms for a short time. Those long fingered hands would have been on his skin and, if he'd been incredibly lucky, those hidden lips against his.

The thought of the hidden part of Kakashi's face brought forth the memory of the older man trying to reveal it the night before. Iruka didn't know whether to be proud of himself or kick his own arse all the way to Suna for stopping Kakashi. Taking a deep breath and catching a hint of lingering spearmint, he knew he was proud. Besides, it wasn't like he needed any more mental images to fire his imagination about the sexy Jounin. That glorious expanse of pale skin still damp from the bath wrapped in only a couple of towels and pressed up tightly against him… the tanned cheeks blushed hotly and Iruka buried his face into his pillow with a self mocking groan. That experience was going to fuel some interesting dreams to come.

The fact that the Jounin had been willing to take a _man_ for post mission stress release the night before proved to Iruka that his being there was affecting the Jounin's down time. The recovering teacher was already well aware that he was heavily dependant on his new friend for shelter, food, and the necessities of life. In doing so, he was also making it hard for the elite shinobi from bring home a woman to share his bed for the night. Hell, Iruka was still sleeping in Kakashi's bed while the other man was using the spare bedroom! The Jounin had insisted that Iruka stay in his bedroom because it was the only raised bed in the house and with his injuries it would be easier to get in and out of. Iruka knew that he'd imposed upon his friend long enough, it had been almost a month and it would be unfair to ask Kakashi to care for him any longer. He'd have to have a talk with the Jounin about moving someplace else. It was time he gave Kakashi back his carefully guarded privacy.

Sighing, Iruka knew he couldn't stay in bed all day. He really needed to get his cramped body moving. Beginning to stretch out muscles stiff from sleep, the Chuunin discovered all the aches and pains hiding throughout his joints. He'd seriously over stressed himself the evening before and would be paying for it all that day. He knew the best thing to do was to get up and have a hot shower, stretch out as much as he could, and then go check on the silver haired shinobi. It was tempting to go find Kakashi first but Iruka had been smeared with blood the previous night and had yet to wash himself properly. There would be traces on his skin and likely some matted in his hair from where Kakashi had caught him on the stairs. Better to wash away all scent and greet his friend smelling fresh.

Scooting to the edge of the bed, Iruka pulled back the curtain and glanced at the sky outside. A light layer of snow lay on the ground and the sky was threatening more during the day. It still amazed him how much warmth the Jounin's house held; though the room was cold it was no where near as freezing as his apartment had been. Pushing to his feet, the teacher limped painfully through to the bathroom. The bloodied armour and uniform were gone, the whole room well scrubbed to remove any trace. Iruka realised that his bloodied shirt and pants from the night before had also been removed and wondered if Kakashi had thrown them away. That amount of blood was near impossible to get out of light colours but it was still a shame that the new clothes had gone to ruin.

It was such a relief to step beneath the hot spray of the shower and feel his muscles loosen under the steady beat of water. Slowly, he stretched out the stiff limbs being careful not to push them too far. After awhile, Iruka was as loose as he was going to get and soaped himself, making sure to wash his hair thoroughly while trying not to think about the blood causing the strands at the nape of his neck to clump together. He couldn't bend down to soap anywhere below his knees, his joints too stiff to allow much flexibility. Shutting off the water Iruka dried off as best he could and slowly shuffled back to the bedroom, a towel wrapped around his waist and another draped over his hair to absorb the majority of moisture.

Looking through his clothing selection, the Chuunin was worrying about the trouble he'd have pulling on pants with his body so stiff when his eyes fell on the inconspicuous box sitting on top of the dresser.

_That'll do nicely_.

He removed the lid in an almost revering manner, admiring the soft, moss green fabric from the yukata Kakashi had bought for him. This was perfect. He knew Kakashi would be worrying over what had happened the night before, that the older man might wonder if Iruka though of him any differently knowing deadly persona. The yukata had been a gift that Kakashi had obviously put a lot of thought and money into. The tones were perfect for his colouring and the fabric beautifully soft. By wearing it, Iruka would demonstrate that he still though highly of and deeply valued his friend… that and he couldn't bend over to pull anything past his feet. In fact, as it was the teacher would also be going without underwear. The thought made him blush hotly and Iruka tried not to think about how rude it was to wander around someone else's home in such a state. At least Kakashi would never know.

It would be a bit chilly but Iruka knew he would likely spend most of the day near the fire anyhow. His body was just too sore to move around too much and the lounge room with its supply of books would be a perfect base for the day. Iruka vigorously towelled at his hair and drew the worst of the moisture from it before giving it a quick brush and leaving it loose. He'd only had the one hair tie and Kakashi had sliced through it on the stairs. He'd have to get some more bands at some stage, having his hair in his face drove him mad after awhile. Pulling the yukata from its box, Iruka took a moment to again admire its quality before slipping it on. It felt wonderful against his skin. Positioning it correctly, he quickly wrapped and tied the Obi. The soft fabric brushing over his uncovered groin was both improper and sensual, thank goodness no one need ever know about it.

Leaving the room, Iruka slowly made his way to the living area of the house, trying hard not to hobble like an old man. As he made his way down the hall, the realisation suddenly struck him that he'd not heard a sound all morning to indicate that Kakashi was even home. Could it be that the Jounin had already left? Perhaps he'd gone to report to the Hokage or called away for work. The thought that Kakashi might have left because he was embarrassed about what had occurred between them the night before was quickly dismissed. If that turned out to be the case, then he would deal with it when it arose. The moment of bonding they'd shared in the bathroom, when Kakashi had held him and wept on his shoulder, had been precious to Iruka. He didn't have any regrets and the idea that Kakashi might wasn't something he wanted to contemplate.

Iruka passed through the door leading to the kitchen and lounge area. Surveying the room with a quick glance, he almost stumbled at the sight that met him. Standing in front of the crackling fire with his back to the room was Kakashi. The Jounin was deep in thought and motionless as he gazed into the dancing flames but what had Iruka's breath hitching was the picture of pure perfection the man presented with just that pale back. The Jounin was shirtless, powerful and beautifully balanced muscles uncovered for wide brown eyes to devour. The gravity defying hair shone with a cacophony of natural silver with golden highlights from the fire's glow. The pale skin was smooth and even with some scarily impressive looking scars that Iruka found both horrific and undeniably sexy. There was the slightest sheen of sweat glistening on the exposed skin, giving it an almost luminous appearance. The only clothing Kakashi wore was a pair of black hakama. Iruka's mouth went completely dry and his heart began to thump in his chest.

_My god… he's stunning._

Without thought, Iruka made his way across the room until he was standing behind his regular chair at the kitchen table, holding onto its back for support like he'd had to when first starting his rehabilitation. His grip was almost white knuckled as he dragged his mind back to reality when he realised how long he'd been staring. The elite Jounin would be aware of his arrival and to remain silent any longer would be rude. Iruka just desperately hoped he could speak without making a fool of himself.

"Morning Kakashi. Are you alright?"

There was a pause as the Jounin took a deep breath then released it slowly, his back muscles flexing. Straightening slightly, Kakashi stepped back from the fire place and turned.

"Iruka."

Iruka gave a loud gasp and his hand flew to his mouth in surprise as dark eyes widened with shock. Maskless! Kakashi was maskless! His eyes focused on the exposed features for only a second – a second that would be burned into his memory for the rest of his life – before he wrenched them away and moved his hand from his mouth to cover them. He knew his face was flushed, he couldn't help it. Kakashi was gorgeous.

"I-I'm so sorry!" he stammered out and took a step back, intending to make for the bedroom again and give the Jounin his privacy. "I didn't realise yo-"

Warm hands settled on his shoulders, stopping his retreat as breath tickled against his ear and a deep voice murmured, "It's alright."

"I want you to look, Iruka."

That voice had come from in front of him and Iruka snapped his eyes open in surprise. His head darted between the two men standing with him in the space between kitchen and lounge. Two Kakashis', both maskless, and both very close. The one behind still had his hands resting on Iruka's shoulders as the other stood in front of the Chuunin watching his reactions with obvious amusement. Both were bared to the world from the waist up and Iruka could feel his face getting hotter by the second. His hand had settled somewhere back near his mouth, fingers curled and resting against his slightly parted lips as he took in the features of the most mysterious shinobi in the nation.

Kakashi looked nothing like Iruka had ever imagined. The Jounin's nose was straight and narrow, the jaw strong and slightly broader than the black mask made it look. There wasn't an imperfection to be seen except for a small, mostly faded scar on the left side of the Copy-nin's face that started on his jaw and ended a short way down his pale neck. What really captivated Iruka, though, was Kakashi's smile. The only way to describe it was charmingly rakish.

Kakashi's mouth was beautiful, sensual. The top lip was thin but the bottom fuller, smooth, and unbelievably tempting. The Jounin's smile was utterly enchanting. It was slightly lop sided, the muscles on the right pulling a little more than the muscles on the left, and on the right cheek was a hint of a dimple. There was no dimple on the left side, just that slight divot on the right that made the Jounin look so damn sexy it was almost a crime.

Both Kakashis' were smiling at him, both showing even white teeth and that crooked grin that was quickly melting Iruka's heart. Even both eyes were uncovered, the left one closed to hide the sharingan. The stormy grey orb was watching him carefully, full of amusement at his reaction but nervousness was there too. There was also another emotion in the single eye that Iruka was too scared to analyse because he might misunderstand and do something really stupid with the gorgeous and exposed man in front of him… and behind! Regardless of that, Iruka wanted to do something to erase the nervousness from Kakashi's gaze. Dropping his hand away from his mouth, Iruka managed to give a shy smile. He knew he was blushing hotly but hopefully Kakashi would mistake it for embarrassment rather than the attraction it so blatantly was.

"Hi," he smiled at the older men.

"Yo." The Kakashi before him answered with a chuckle that was even more attractive when Iruka could see the smile that went with it.

Flicking a quick glance at the Kakashi behind him, who was also watching him with a crinkle eyed smile, Iruka searched his mind desperately for something to say.

"Umm… I, ah, think I might have walked into a genjutsu. There's two of you," he blurted out and felt like slapping himself in the forehead.

The Kakashi in front chuckled and made a hand sign before touching his fingers to Iruka's forehead and murmuring, "Release."

Iruka had the feeling that was the real Kakashi and although he felt a small flare of chakra, nothing in the room changed.

"No genjutsu. I was training upstairs this morning and decided to conjure up a bit of competition."

The clone behind him chuckled good naturedly and gave Iruka's shoulders a gentle squeeze, not letting him go.

"O-oh," the academy sensei stuttered before clearing his throat. "Why are you showing me?"

Kakashi regarded him seriously for a moment, the smile falling away, and Iruka was suddenly struck by how mature the previously rakish face was. Kakashi was a man who had seen things the Chuunin couldn't even imagine and yet here he was exposing himself and trusting Iruka.

"I want you to see me, Iruka, all of me. Last night you found out my most guarded identity and you didn't run. Even though I scared you, and I'm so sorry for that-"

"Don't be, it's alright," Iruka whispered quickly before Kakashi went on.

"You didn't run, you _helped_ me… to the extent where you passed out from exhaustion." The Jounin reached up with a hand and awkwardly scratched at his neck, the tempting mouth flattening as the Jounin searched for the right words to say. "I've been alone for a long time and… well, you're important to me. I want you to see all of me, to know all of me."

Iruka stared at his silver haired friend for a moment before he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the older man. The hands on his shoulders released their hold as Kakashi's arms wrapped around him, pulling him close.

"Thank you, Kakashi."

As his Chuunin came into his arms, whispered his thanks, and showed that he accepted the Jounin for who he was, both Kakashis closed their eyes and savoured the moment. He let the younger man go reluctantly as Iruka stepped back and a dazzling smile lit up the teacher's face.

"We all thought you'd be handsome but-" Iruka broke off to laugh sheepishly and rubbed at the scar crossing his flushed face. "It's a good thing you wear a mask, I doubt any of the kunoichi would be able to function with you around."

Kakashi flashed another grin, this one deliberately predatory, and delighted in the way Iruka's smile turned shy again as the Chuunin's face darkened another shade. This was going better than Kakashi had hoped.

"Only the kunoichi, Ru?" he asked in a low voice.

The reaction was exactly what he'd hoped for, Iruka's eyes went very wide and his face paled beneath the dark blush crossing his nose and cheeks. The Chuunin looked like someone who had been caught out and was having a serious internal panic attack.

"I-I-" Iruka stammered and backed up a step straight into the Kakashi-clone waiting gleefully behind him.

The clone's hands landed on Iruka's shoulders, preventing the academy sensei from jolting away in surprise, and both Kakashis chuckled at the teacher's trapped expression.

_Oh fuck! He knows! _

Iruka knew he should be doing something more constructive than standing there and looking like a guilty, cornered rabbit, but his brain had decided to shut down on him and his usually quick mind was in meltdown. This was not good, not good at all. Why the hell were they laughing? Was his attraction that _amusing_ to the famous Copy Ninja? When all else failed, Iruka could always rely on his temper to come to the rescue and it quickly built in the face of Kakashi's laughter. Dark eyes narrowed and his hands clenched into fists. Just as he opened his mouth to snap at the chuckling man, Kakashi reached out and grasped his elbow.

"Come, sit on the couch and talk with me. You look tired and there's much I need to tell you. Before you get angry and jump to conclusions, I need to explain a few things."

The Jounin pulled him into the lounge area while his clone turned and wandered into the kitchen. Iruka followed curiously but with his temper still simmering below the surface. It would likely be best if he just confessed everything up front and let his friend know exactly where he stood. It would not do to have this trust from the highly private man yet hide something as major as this attraction from him. As they sat, Iruka decided to just get everything out in the open as quickly as possible. It would make things less awkward for him, even though it would be hard to say. However, Kakashi was the first to speak.

"Maa, to tell you the truth, Iruka, I'm really not sure where to start," the Copy-nin said with an awkward smile.

Iruka took a deep, fortifying breath. "Let me then." He didn't wait for assent before continuing. "I'm… I'm sorry, Kakashi, I almost feel as though I've been lying to you."

The older man's brow furrowed. "Huh?"

"I, ah." He swallowed thickly and then ploughed right in. "I'm attracted to you, have been for a long time. I was never going to do anything about it, of course! With you being straight and all I'd never dare try, but now you're showing me all this trust and, umm, I think it might be misplaced because you didn't know how I feel about you." Iruka slumped back into the couch cushions and rubbed a hand over his face in frustration. "I should have told you earlier but I never thought we'd become friends. Even while we were becoming friends, I didn't think there was a reason to tell you because I'll never act on it and I really didn't think you'd find out." He gave a self depreciating laugh then smiled at the man next to him. "Should've known better, eh? Seeing underneath the underneath is your specialty after all."

Kakashi was staring at Iruka with a stunned expression. Iruka knew that if there was any chance of remaining friends with the Jounin he had to reassure him that he'd no longer invade his life.

"It's alright though," he reassured as the clone approached them carrying the tea set. Iruka focused on the clone's activities while he spoke. It made it easier than trying to meet the intense grey eye focused on him. "I was thinking this morning that I've imposed you for long enough and it's not fair I hold you back from, umm, your normal pursuits. Naruto told me that Sasuke's opened up the Uchiha section to any who have been left homeless from the attack and I think it's as good a place to start out fresh as any." Iruka shifted his gaze to the steaming cups of tea as the clone paused in his movements and fixed Iruka with the same intense gaze as his maker. "Naruto's even claimed a nice place for me that's close to where he and Sasuke are living so he can check on me until I'm back to full health, this way-"

"No," the deep voice cut into his rambling sharply.

Iruka looked up, surprised at the hard tone. Kakashi was looking at him with both eyes open and narrowed. The sharingan was under control and along with the hard grey eye it made him shrink back a little into the cushions. The attractive mouth was flattened and the strong jaw clenched.

"Eh?" Iruka asked intelligently. Although he'd understood what the Copy-nin had said, he didn't understand the meaning behind it. The older man didn't look happy, though, that was for certain.

"You're not going anywhere," Kakashi stated flatly and leaned toward the confused teacher. "You're staying right here with me. Do you honestly think that now I've finally got you in my life, now that I know you're attracted to me and we have a chance, I'll let you go?"

Iruka knew he was blinking stupidly but that statement just didn't make sense.

"What do you mean by 'have a chance'? Kakashi, I'm a man."

"I'm well aware of that," the Jounin said, his voice somewhere between a growl and a purr, as he leaned over the Chuunin.

Iruka felt his face heating up rapidly and his heart took off like a rocket behind his ribcage. His hands shot up and pressed against naked shoulders as the older man moved closer. It was a futile effort, even at full strength the teacher would have had a challenge pushing off the elite shinobi. A pale hand slid around the back of his neck and Iruka wasn't sure what was going on but he was fairly certain this had to be a hallucination or was again caught in the sleep jutsu Kakashi had used on him in Tsunade's office.

"Bu- but I'm a man," he stammered as the larger man easily pressed closer, despite Iruka's efforts at holding him off.

"I know, Ru. You're _my_ man."

With those words, Iruka had barely enough time to suck in a gasp before the lips he'd only been able to dream about pressed against his. His eyes were still wide and locked onto the mismatched gaze staring straight back at him. At their close proximity, everything looked slightly distorted and only added to the unreality of the situation. The lips against his were hot and insistent yet questioning. After a few shocked seconds, Iruka finally realised that this wasn't an illusion. It was a once in a life time opportunity and he'd be the biggest fool in the world to waste it!

With a moan he couldn't contain, Iruka's eyes closed and he pushed into the kiss, angling his head to better fit his mouth against the Jounin's. His hands changed from pushing to grasping as he wound his arms around the pale neck, pulling the older man closer. Iruka was rewarded by Kakashi released a moan of his own and the kiss went from questioning to devouring. Lips brushed over and over as they became familiar with the other's touch. There was no preamble before a tongue slipped into Iruka's mouth and he met it enthusiastically with his own, the kiss deepening as they slid against each other.

Kakashi's hand at the back of his head buried into his hair, tightening its grip and making it impossible for Iruka to pull away as they drank from each other. Each revelled in the other man's unique taste; thoroughly exploring both mouths in turn until the limited air they were able to drag in through their noses just wasn't enough. Breaking apart slightly to draw in deep breaths, they didn't loosen their holds, staying close and resting their foreheads together.

"Why?" Iruka panted out. His eyes were closed as he savoured what had happened in case it all disappeared.

"Because… I'm in love with you."

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**AN: And so they kissed – finally - and it only took 21 chapters! Thanks for sticking with the story for so long. I appreciate all the reviews and it brings me much joy to read them.**

**Sorry this chapter took so long to get out but work got in the way and I injured my left hand the other day so much of this chapter was actually typed one handed. It took a really, really long time *sigh***

**So, let us consider the situation: **

***pulls a blackboard out of thin air and points to the Icha Icha inspired stick figures of Kakashi and Iruka* **

**There's a completely infatuated Iruka who has finally gotten to see and kiss the mysterious Copy-nin and we have Kakashi who has finally confessed his love to his Chuunin. And all this while Iruka's not wearing any underwear! Hmm… any guesses as to what I have planned for you my lovely readers.**

**An evil Overlord I may be, but I still want to give my minions their fix. So review for me, my darlings. You know I love them ^_^**


	22. Connecting

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I do wish I had to power to permanently destroy the blight that is a writer's block!**

**AN: Don't kill me! I bring you smut! *points down* Look, there it is below. Go read, go read. A huge thank you to StudyingDragon who tipped me over the 1000 review mark. This chapter is dedicated to you, mate ^_^**

**Edited 2010, I am an editing **_**machine**_**!**

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 22: Connecting**

_Kakashi's hand at the back of his head buried into his hair, tightening its grip and making it impossible for Iruka to pull away as they drank from each other. Each revelled in the other man's unique taste; thoroughly exploring both mouths in turn until the limited air they were able to drag in through their noses just wasn't enough. Breaking apart slightly to draw in deep breaths, they didn't loosen their holds, staying close and resting their foreheads together._

_"Why?" Iruka panted out. His eyes were closed as he savoured what had happened in case it all disappeared._

_"Because… I'm in love with you."_

**…**

Sucking in a sharp breath, dark eyes snapped open and Iruka pulled back slightly to stare into the mismatched pair watching him intently.

"Y- you what?"

Kakashi caressed the back of his neck with calloused fingertips. The pale lips lifted ever so slightly at the edges in the softest smile Iruka had ever seen.

"I'm in love with you," the Jounin repeated, his deep voice low and sultry.

Honey skinned hands cupped the normally hidden face as the Chuunin pulled back a little further and searched Kakashi's eyes for any trace of teasing. There was nothing but clear sincerity in the mismatched depths, absolute truth. Iruka shook slightly in doubt.

"But, Kakashi, I'm a-"

"I think we've already established the fact that you're a man, Iruka," the Copy Ninja interrupted with amusement evident in his voice. "Gender doesn't mean anything to me, it never has. Are you saying it's a problem for you?"

Iruka was shocked, his hands dropping to grip the pale shoulders.

"Of course not!" he quickly denied. "It's just… you're straight." A silver eyebrow rose at that statement and the academy sensei began to feel very unsure of himself. "Aren't you? The rumours are always about women. I've never heard of you sleeping with a guy and I work in the Mission Office, gossip central, so I assumed that…"

A small and gorgeous smile stretched pale lips as Iruka's words drifted off uncertainly and the younger man swallowed. The caressing hand shifted to hold the back of the Chuunin's neck firmly.

"You shouldn't listen to rumours. They're mostly lies or carefully constructed covers to protect those we love. Tell me, Iruka, if I'm straight would I do this?"

The Jounin's head moved forwards and their lips met again. It was softer than the first kiss, gentle and caressing rather than the desperate need to taste and feel. He slid his hands into silver, gravity defying hair and pressed their mouths together more firmly. Gods, those lips were magic, their touch tender and gentle yet searing at the same time. His lower lip was sucked into the older man's mouth and lightly nibbled causing a ragged moan to escaped from the injured Chuunin's throat and Kakashi's hands tightened on his skin.

Kakashi had meant to keep this kiss shorter and chaster than the last, but when Iruka released that delicious sound all his good intentions had swiftly fizzled out of existence. That taste, that glorious taste was pure Iruka with a hint of toothpaste. By the heavens, it was the best thing he'd ever tasted in his life. Full lips were responsive and eager against his, breathy moans floated on the air and smooth skin was hot beneath his caress. It was better than he'd ever dreamed. This living, vibrant man made all his fantasies pale and disperse like mist in the bright morning sunlight; they were laughable compared to the real thing.

His grip on the Chuunin tightened as Kakashi delved his tongue back into the wet, tempting mouth; he pushed Iruka further into the soft upholstery, trying to press in closer. Kakashi needed to be closer, needed to feel that warm body pressed flushed and alive against him. Reaching down, he hooked his arm under the teacher's legs and started to shift him into a better position. The fabric of the yukata slid against his bare arm and Kakashi couldn't bite back the possessive growl that rumbled in his throat.

An excited shudder moved down Iruka's spine as Kakashi growled hungrily against his lips and deepened the kiss. The sound reminded him of the night before, held perilously but safe atop the stairs while the ANBU had made that exact same sound. Clawed fingers pressing against his skin yet never piercing, the ravenous look in the Copy-nin's eyes as he reached for him after he'd been dropped on the bed. The Jounin's sheer terror when Kakashi had thought he'd injured Iruka because of the blood soaked t-shirt. It was true, Kakashi really did love him. As crazy and unimaginable as it seemed, Hatake Kakashi was in love with him.

His mouth was being explored with a passion the teacher had never experienced before. The Jounin's arm had slipped under his legs and was pulling him closer, as he did so; Iruka felt the soft fabric of his yukata slide against his genitals. The abrupt reminder that he was not wearing underwear and well on his way to becoming erect slammed into his pleasure fuzzed brain. He couldn't let Kakashi know, he had no idea how the Jounin would react. There was no way he would ask to stop though.

The kisses, the feel of Kakashi against him, and wanting him was not something Iruka would _ever_ push away. He tried to shift so they could press together while still hiding his growing hardness but as soon as he tensed up the muscles of his legs screamed in protest. With a pained hiss Iruka broke the kiss as the muscles cramped tightly. Damn it hurt! Kakashi pulled away, quickly releasing him at his first sign of pain.

"What? Where does it hurt?"

"Calves," Iruka answered back through gritted teeth, eyes tightly closed against the intense cramping.

Barely had the words left his mouth, there were strong hands rubbing at his legs and chakra flowing into the tightly knotted muscles. The pain lessened considerably with the chakra assistance and Iruka let out a shaky relieved sigh. At least his impending erection was no longer a problem.

Opening his eyes, Iruka had the sinking feeling his erection would be back very soon. There, kneeling at his feet, were two Copy Ninjas. Both had looks of concern on their handsome faces and were working the tanned legs carefully. Both were still maskless and shirtless, gloriously muscled bodies in full view. Twin grey eyes (the sharingan once more hidden beneath scarred lids) rose to look into at him intently and a hot blush spread across his cheeks. His eyes widened helplessly as the pale men sent him twin, devastatingly sexy grins.

"Better?" the one on the left asked, and judging by the mussed up hair Iruka guessed him to be the real Kakashi.

"Y-yeah," his voice sounded incredibly husky.

Oh great temptation, that was a sight dreams were made of. He bit his lower lip unconsciously and felt his blush darken as both shirtless men licked their lips and stared hungrily at his mouth.

"My fault," Kakashi muttered distractedly. "You didn't get your massage yesterday and last night was too much stress for your muscles." The grey eye dropped sadly to look at the bronzed skin he was working on. "I'm sor-"

"Don't you dare apologise," Iruka cut in sharply before reaching forward to run soothing fingers through silver hair as Kakashi's eye snapped back up at his harsh tone. "You were protecting us all yesterday. I don't know what happened but I do know what ever it was that brought you home in such a state meant the entire village slept safer last night." Calloused hands stroked over Kakashi's cheeks as the younger man smiled, heartfelt gratitude shining from chocolate eyes. "Thank you."

The pain in his legs was gone so Iruka leaned forward and placed his lips against the speechless man's forehead. "Thank you for protecting us, for protecting me."

That snapped Kakashi from his shocked immobility. Iruka found himself hauled into the older man's lap, straddling the Copy-nin's thighs as arms wrapped around him and held his weight easily.

"Always," the elite Jounin breathed against his skin. "I will always protect you."

Iruka held him tightly with all the strength he could. "I'll protect you too, Kakashi."

The silver haired shinobi pulled back a little at that and frowned.

"What?" Iruka grinned. "Just because you're a little stronger than I am doesn't mean I won't protect you too. I'll always protect those precious to me… the ones I love."

Both the Jounin's eyes widened at that and Iruka could see the clone gaping at him with the exact same expression in his peripheral vision. He kept his focus on the real man, grasping the back of Kakashi's neck and staring straight into his eyes. The older man's breathing was shallow as he stared up at the teacher.

"I do," Iruka said seriously, answering the unspoken question shining from the mismatched eyes. "I don't think it's as strong as what you feel for me yet, but I've loved you since that evening you brought home those bags of clothes," he plucked at the yukata, "and told me you were taking care of me as a friend rather than on orders."

The Jounin's mind quickly supplied him with the image of Iruka blushing darkly when he'd told the teacher he was the first person Kakashi'd ever bought lingerie for. That night Iruka had embraced him voluntarily for the first time and brokenly whispered his thanks in his ear. That night… Iruka had fallen in love with him that night… so many weeks of easy conversation, warm moments, and gentle touches yet it had taken blood, fear, and subsequent acceptance for them to finally confess to each other.

Kakashi could do nothing but continue to stare mutely at the man sitting in his lap, the wonderful, intelligent, tough, gorgeous man who had just said the words he'd feared he would never hear. Returned the emotions he'd been harbouring for years. He _needed_ to hear it again and amazingly Iruka seemed to understand this. The younger man stared fearlessly into the Sharingan eye, those brown eyes warm and sincere.

"I love you, Kakashi."

They met in the middle, locking lips and trying to pour everything they felt into their kiss. There was a popping sound as the clone was dispersed and it was ignored, the two men completely intent on each other. Kakashi gave a shudder as the clone's memories transferred into him and he watched Iruka, held in his arms, confess his love again. With an almost tortured groan, the Jounin pulled the younger man closer to him and deepened the kiss, tongues sliding together, caressing.

There was nothing more that could be said, no more sweet words needed, they just wanted to hold, taste, touch, and feel each other. Iruka broke his mouth away and brushed lips over a pale cheek, sensitive from always being protected by soft masks. Kakashi brushed long, dark hair away from the tanned neck and ran his tongue over the honey skin, inhaled deeply. His ultra-sensitive nose took in the clean scents of sandalwood, arousal, and his love's unique fragrance. It was intoxicating.

A breathy moan fell from full lips a moment before they pressed against Kakashi's shoulder, the younger man nipping at the skin lightly and trailing kisses across the broad length. He tasted the slight salt of clean sweat from Kakashi's earlier sparring session and wouldn't have it any other way. The Copy-nin smelled of mint, fresh, crisp, and just shy of sweet. His hands ran over the exposed back, tracing scars and hard muscle with his fingers. Iruka could tell the elite was straining to keep control and Iruka knew he couldn't ask the Jounin to let go. If Kakashi did there was a very real possibility Iruka could end up hurt because of his weakened state.

A shift from the body below had Iruka's back braced against the seat of the couch. He was still straddled across the kneeling Jounin's legs and the slight angle meant he needed a back support to remain in place. With the cushions behind him, pale hands were freed to touch. The fabric of his yukata was slowly slid off one shoulder, pale lips kissing every inch of newly exposed skin. Electric shivers ran down Iruka's spine at the feather light touches, his skin tickled and tantalised. Kakashi brushed the fabric off his other shoulder and Iruka released his hold on the older man, lowering his arms to allow the cloth to fall. Large hands smoothed down his upper arms before sliding around his back and lifting him slightly away from the couch. The fabric that had been trapped between his skin and the cushions fell to his waist with a soft rustle.

"Kakashi," he breathed before capturing pale lips again.

Someone moaned but it was lost to the kiss. Hands travelled over light and dark exposed skin. Tiny shivers ran through both bodies as they explored and found pleasure points to make the other sigh or moan, mapping out long denied and deeply desired territory. Other than to catch a quick breath their mouths didn't part, the need to taste and connect too strong. When Kakashi slid arms under Iruka's hips and around his back, holding his Chuunin secure before standing, their lips still didn't part. Iruka instinctively wrapped his legs around Kakashi's waist as they rose but needn't have bothered.

The way he was being held made him feel so ridiculously cherished, something Iruka had not experienced before. The teacher pulled back panting from those soft lips and looked down into mismatched eyes. Those always expressive eyes gazed back at him with sheer adoration. The love reflected in them made Iruka suddenly shy and awkward, and he flushed darker across his facial scar. Kakashi smiled at him, the amazing eyes crinkling in the corners as arms tightened around him. They lowered to the ground again and Kakashi eased him back until he was lying on a collection of floor cushions with the older man kneeling between his legs. He looked up at the Jounin hovering above him and all breath left his lungs, the pale winter light and glow from the fire made Kakashi look like marble tipped in gold.

"Stunning," Iruka whispered.

A pale hand linked with his, fingers entwining and resting near his head as the other brushed over his cheek. The normally hidden face lowered and Iruka realised that Kakashi was holding his weight on the backs of his fingers without putting any pressure on his own linked hand. As a normally fully fit shinobi, The Chuunin had never truly realised the terrifying strength their kind possessed until that moment. Even at full health, a part of him doubted he could have held for long the position the elite was effortlessly. Calloused fingers continued to caress his cheek and Iruka reached up with his free hand to run fingertips over the smooth jaw above.

Kakashi looked at the man beneath him, revelling in the gentle touch on his sensitive jaw. Cinnamon skin was toned a shade warmer with the fire's glow, a soft flush highlighted scarred features, and dark hair was splayed across cushion and rug. Iruka's expressive eyes were dark with emotion and watching him, slightly shy.

"Beautiful," the Jounin whispered back before sliding his mouth over the full, kiss swollen lips below.

Iruka was stunned. Normally he'd balk at being called something so feminine but the absolute sincerity the older man had spoken with made him realise that it wasn't just sweet words, it was truth. The second thing that stunned the Chuunin was that Kakashi was still holding himself up only on the backs of his fingers and not even trembling from the strain. The other pale hand had buried itself in his hair and was stroking exactly how he loved. The raw strength needed to hold the position was something Iruka couldn't even imagine and suddenly the difference in power between them was just that much more apparent.

Even with the amount of fighting the older man had done the day before, the amount of chakra he must have used up, Kakashi still had so much strength. To have spared against a clone in that morning, used the sharingan, and now hold such a demandingly awkward pose, Kakashi was incredible. This powerful, elite shinobi, the revered Copy Ninja and feared Hound was cradling _him_. Caressing him and keeping such tight control over his body that Iruka didn't know if he'd be able to achieve the same should their situations have been reversed. It made him feel fragile, not something he'd ever experienced before and not something he liked at all. Yet somehow, instead of feeling weak and useless like he probably should, he felt… loved.

Wrapping his arm around the Jounin's back and pulling down, Iruka coaxed him lower. Kakashi finally had to lean on one of his elbows, keeping his hand buried in long hair but no longer stroking. Fingers remained entwined as their bodies became flush and very obvious erections slid against each other through a fabric barrier. The firm brush of silken fabric had Iruka breaking the kiss and releasing the first loud sound they'd made since coming together. He groaned loudly and pushed against the body above him, intensifying the feeling for them both. Kakashi released a ragged groan and pressed his face into the juncture of Iruka's neck and shoulder. The Jounin's body shuddered as he fiercely clung to his control; he had to remain in control.

"Kakashi," Iruka panted into his ear. The warm voice was full of desire and Kakashi's grip on the younger man's hand tightened. "Kashi, please, I need you."

"Gods," the Copy-nin breathed almost inaudibly and bit down on the honey skin.

Rather than helping him hold onto his control, he felt more of it slip as Iruka gave a surprised, pleasured cry and pressed up against him again. Kakashi groaned and began sucking at the sensitive skin between his teeth, delighting in the loud keen it elicited from his Chuunin. Kakashi pressed his body against the younger man's, deliberately rubbing them together and gasping at the pleasure.

"Iruka, I don't want to hurt you," he said against the warm skin.

A hand slipped into his hair and tugged, gentle but insistent. Kakashi obliged and raised his head to look into eyes so dark they were almost black.

"You won't, I trust you." The dark eyes suddenly turned worried and silky brows dipped in a frown. "If you don't want to…"

Iruka's words drifted off as Kakashi stared down at him incredulously.

"That's the second craziest thing you've ever said to me," the older man suddenly chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.

Iruka gave a curious, self-conscious smile. "What was the first?"

"That you knew I didn't want you in my bed."

Thinking back, the Chuunin remembered saying something like that just after he'd regained consciousness weeks earlier. He chuckled at the strange memory.

"Even now I find it almost unbelievable," he admitted.

Lips brushed over his in a barely there kiss. "I do," Kakashi whispered against his mouth.

Iruka swallowed. "Then take me there."

The older man groaned and with a burst of shinobi speed the Chuunin found himself once more held by solid arms and moving through the house. The pale neck was close and he began to nip at it as excitement and desire coiled through his body. A soft mattress met his back and as Kakashi began to climb over him the Jounin paused.

"Are you sure?"

Iruka looked up and studied the man above him, the single grey eye was dark with lust, pale skin tinted light pink across high cheekbones, and the long fingers were trembling slightly. The younger man could tell the older wanted him and Iruka wanted as much of Kakashi as he could get. In answer to the unsure question, the younger man simply reached down and untied his striped obi. Kakashi watched, eye narrowed and breathing steadily becoming more ragged as Iruka removed and tossed the obi aside. He didn't pull apart the folds of his yukata, that was for the Jounin to do.

As pale hands reached for him, Iruka shot out his own to catch the older man's wrists. Kakashi paused in place and allowed his Chuunin to hold him.

"I, umm, I think it's only fair I warn you." Iruka blushed darkly and looked off to the side. "I've never gone quite this far with a man before."

Both the Jounin's eyes widened at that. "Iruka, are you a virgin?"

True, Kakashi had never seen him take a sexual partner during his years of watching, but he was also frequently away from the village and Iruka ran missions of his own. There had been ample opportunity for the teacher to bed someone without the Jounin's knowledge. Suddenly, it hit Kakashi that he'd never scented another person on his Chuunin. Oh dear mother of sweet perversion, could Iruka really be-

"With another male, yes," Iruka interrupted Kakashi's thoughts. "I've just, ah, never found one that I've wanted or trusted to, umm…"

The Copy Ninja watched as the teacher's face blushed darker and darker. The younger male didn't finish what he was saying but Kakashi understood. Iruka had never found another man he'd been comfortable enough to sleep with, to give up that level of control with. Reading between the lines, it was very obvious the Chuunin had had sex before but obviously not taken it. From Kakashi's knowledge of his love, Iruka needed to have an emotional connection with a person before committing his body to them. It was a sweet and beautiful thing in a village filled with crazy, over-sexed perverts. The fact that Iruka was offering himself to Kakashi spoke volumes to the Jounin.

He laid his hands on either side of Iruka's head and if the hands wrapped around his wrists had offered any resistance the Jounin didn't notice. What an amazing and precious thing this man was. Kakashi's own many indiscretions and late night liaisons with men and women flitted through his head and he brutally ignored them. It wasn't about who was more 'experienced', it was about the two of them and their first time together. Iruka's first time with a man. Pride swelled in his chest at that thought. In everyway that mattered, he was going to be his love's first!

"Kakashi?" The older man had been staring at him silently for some time and Iruka was beginning to fret. "If it bothers y-_mmph_!"

Whatever it was Iruka was going to say was immediately forgotten as Kakashi's head dove down and his mouth was aggressively taken. Iruka froze in surprise only for a second before returning the kiss just as enthusiastically. Obviously, it didn't bother the Jounin in the least. His hands ran over the strong back above, digging in nails gently and causing the older man to moan. Without conscious thought, the teacher's hands slipped lower to the ties of Kakashi's hakama. The damn strappy pants made him growl impatiently as he tugged at the binds. Who the hell had come up with such an infuriating design? He couldn't even get the first accursed knot untied.

A hand was suddenly there along with his own, stronger fingers helping him to loosen the knots. Finally, they all came undone and Kakashi kicked off the pants without his lips ever leaving Iruka's. The academy sensei wanted more; he sucked the Jounin's tongue into his mouth and nibbled on it gently as his hands pushed underwear down pale hips. These were also wriggled out of and kicked aside. Now, Iruka could explore the Jounin's body and moaned loudly in appreciation as he trailed fingers over Kakashi's exquisite arse. Digging his fingers into the firm flesh, the Chuunin was rewarded with a deep growl and a sudden pressure on his nipple.

Iruka gasped in shock and pleasure as his nipple was firmly stroked and rolled. He arched into the touch with a groan, wordlessly asking for more. The kiss finally broke and Kakashi sat back to free his other hand. Dark eyes shot open as his other nipple was taken between firm but gentle fingers and teased. What had the younger man moaning and squirming, though, was the expanse of gloriously naked skin on display before him. Kakashi was exposed, aroused, and magnificent to his eyes.

"I'm sorry, love, I can't wait any longer. I promise next time we'll take it slower, but I… I just need you now," the deep voice groaned, incredibly husky.

"I need you too."

The pale hands left his chest and trailed down to where the green fabric still covered him.

"Gods, I can't wait to explore every inch of you."

"Later," Iruka panted wantonly.

The last of Iruka's cover was finally pulled away and Kakashi slipped a hand under his hips, lifting him slightly to remove the yukata and toss it out of the way. The Jounin had known since they'd been in the lounge room that Iruka wasn't wearing underwear and it pleased him no end, finding it both sexy and convenient. It wasn't the first time Kakashi had seen Iruka naked, it wasn't the first time he'd seen the man erect, but that time the unconscious, horribly feverish man had become aroused in the bath didn't even begin to compare to this. Here, Iruka was very awake and very aware of what was happening, of who was touching him.

_Mine. All mine._

"Kakashi, come on."

The needy call made the Copy-nin realise he'd been staring again, but who could blame him? Iruka was everything he wanted and more. As he wrapped one hand around the dark shaft, the other reached into a draw of his side table and pulled out a bottle of oil. Kakashi almost dropped the bottle as Iruka threw his head back, let out a ragged moan, and bucked into his grip as his hands fisted in the sheets. Fuck that was sexy!

It had been so long since Iruka had felt another person's touch on his body like this. He didn't know if the older man was just particularly gifted with his hands in this respect or if it was because it was Kakashi touching him at all that made it feel so incredibly good. Very likely, it was a combination of both factors. As one of the Jounin's hands stroked him slowly and teasingly, he felt a slicked digit press against his lower opening and start circling. All the sensitive nerve endings fired up as that finger circled, rubbing gently to relax and soften the tight ring.

With an effort, Iruka forced his eyes open and gazed up at the Jounin kneeling between his thighs. At the sight, he felt his whole body blush, brown eyes widening in appreciation. Bordered by his darker legs, pale skin shone in the dappled winter light like alabaster, covering the lean, muscled perfection of an elite soldier's physique. Those muscles were tensed and tight, showing just how much of an effort moving this slowly and carefully was for the silver haired shinobi. Iruka's eyes travelled to the familiar yet still strange face and widened further as the blush over his cheeks darkened.

Kakashi's whole face was set in an expression of deepest focus, mouth thinned and jaw set. Both the Jounin's eyes were open and watching him with razor sharp intensity, the sharingan very slowly spinning.

_Oh my god, he's recording all of this!_

Iruka turned his head and brought his arm over to try and hide his face. His mind hadn't had time to register that the grip on his erection was gone before a pale hand was wrapped around his wrist and gently but unrelentingly pulling his arm away from his face. The message was clear: 'don't hide from me'. The teacher turned his head back and barely had their gazes locked when a finger finally slid inside of him.

"Relax love," Kakashi said in a voice that was somehow gruff and gentle at the same time.

Taking a deep breath and releasing it, the younger man loosened the muscles that had automatically clenched at the invasion. A hand wrapping around his erection again had the Chuunin lifting his hips to the older man's ministrations, unintentionally forcing the finger to go deeper inside him.

"You okay?"

"Y-yesss," Iruka hissed in pleasure and vaguely wondered if Kakashi's voice had always sounded like liquid sex.

Another slicked finger slid in, making the younger man screw up his face in discomfort. It wasn't painful but his muscles were protesting the invasion. All this faded into insignificance a second later when Kakashi crooked his fingers and rubbed against his prostate. Iruka arched and released a resounding cry. The pride and lust that speared through the Jounin at the Iruka's reaction was palpable, his chakra spiking strongly with it. He began scissoring his fingers, making sure one was always pressed against the sensitive nerves and keeping Iruka writhing in the throes of pleasure. The two fingers briefly withdrew to gather more lubricant and before the injured Chuunin had time to even whimper they were back with a third.

Chakra flowed into his muscles, relieving the sting and helping him to loosen against the foreign intrusions. His prostate was brushed relentlessly as his shaft was stroked and it was all quickly becoming too much for Iruka.

"Ahh, Ka-ashi… close. So, _ngh_!" He just couldn't get out a full sentence.

There was a small amount of chakra pushed into the sensitive bundle of nerves, tingling and making the younger man squirm, and then the fingers withdrew. The Chuunin's arms were filled with a hard, pale body and their mouths met forcefully. Iruka flinched as the inside of his lower lip was pressed back hard enough to be pierced by one of his canines. Kakashi tasted the blood immediately and pulled away.

"Fuck! Iruka, I'm s-"

Iruka wasn't interested in Kakashi's apologies, damn it! He wanted those lips again and took them. Who the hell cared about a little cut? Obviously, Kakashi did and – in a move that shocked and impressed Iruka no end – channelled healing chakra to his tongue. With a slow, moan inducing lick the blood was wiped away and the cut sealed. A strong arm slid beneath his hips and lifted them; Iruka spread his legs wider, knowing what was next. The lubricated tip of Kakashi's cock pressed against his opening and carefully pushed in, breaching the well slicked passage.

"Damn you're tight," the Jounin groaned against his mouth as they paused and allowed for adjustment.

Through the storm of sensation, Iruka realised this was actually the first time Kakashi's shaft had touched him without a cloth barrier. He'd not had a chance to explore the older man's body before the Jounin had sat back and started preparing him. He'd seen it when Kakashi was kneeling between his legs, hard and thick between his thighs, but the first time it had actually come into contact with his body was to slide inside. Somehow, it just felt so right.

They worked slowly until Kakashi was fully sheathed in Iruka's tight heat. Foreheads pressed together as they panted and waited for the muscles to adjust and relax. It did hurt a little but the Jounin had taken a lot of time to prepare him and used plenty of oil. All discomfort was at a minimum and there was no way Kakashi would rush things. Finally, Iruka began to experimentally clench his muscles and shift, getting used to the full feeling. Kakashi tried desperately to hold still and not bite into the delicious cinnamon skin. The elite couldn't wait any longer, he _had _to move.

Pulling back very carefully and listening to his Chuunin moan at the motion told Kakashi that Iruka was ready for more. He sensed for where he'd pushed the small amount of chakra into the teacher's prostate and aimed. There was no sharp snapping forward of hips or hard pounding, he simply slid back into the tight passage and pressed against the bundle of nerves with precision accuracy. Oh, the choked keen Iruka released at that was a test on his self control. They began moving together and Kakashi set a steady pace. Unless it was to cry out or latch onto the other's neck for awhile, their lips didn't part. This was far more than sex. They were connecting.

Every time the Jounin's hips pushed forwards, his prostate was struck and it was sending Iruka into a mindless haze. Every part of his body felt over sensitised, almost feverish. It was the sweetest torture as his erection was rubbed between their bellies, pulling him increasingly faster towards his completion. A shocked gasp flew from his lips as Kakashi slid a hand between his shoulder blades and pulled him upright.

The arm under his hips held him tightly against the Copy Ninja's kneeling body as the other wrapped around his ribs. The Jounin's thrusts didn't stop for a second but the new position allowed him to go deeper. Iruka's head fell back at the depths Kakashi was reaching within him as sharp teeth grazed across his collar bones. The older man was holding him so easily, supporting all his weight like it was nothing, an all he could do was grasp desperately at the Jounin and cry out. He felt so weak, pleasured, useless, and wonderful. It wasn't degrading or embarrassing at all, it was exquisite.

It was all swiftly becoming too much. The younger man desperately captured the lips below his in a deep kiss. He wrapped his arms tightly around Kakashi's shoulders, burying hands in the thick silver hair. His body shuddered as the Jounin seemed to understand and sped up his pace, grinding his stomach more forcefully against Iruka's to give the dark member trapped between the extra friction it needed. It was more than enough.

The tight inner walls clamped down hard around Kakashi as the man in his arms shuddered then threw his head back and came with a hoarse shout. The sight, sound, and feel were too much for the Jounin. His arms tightened their hold as Iruka's clenching passage massaged him to release. He couldn't thrust any more without hurting his lover, so instead he pressed hard into Iruka's prostate and ground against it. His orgasm slammed into him while he kept his eyes locked on the flushed face crying out in pleasure. He was blind in his pleasure but so long as he kept the sharingan open it would record Iruka's reactions and Kakashi could recall them later on. Waves of sensation washed through his body, pulsing from his scalp to his toes. His groan was long and ragged ending with a breathy cry as his orgasm peaked before slowing.

Dark eyes were gazing down at him, glazed and cloudy with pleasure, as Kakashi's orgasm came to an end and he was left panting in the afterglow. His breath hitched as Iruka's flushed face lifted in a soft, loving smile and fingers traced the edges of his face.

"Kakashi," the warm voice sighed in satisfaction before heavy lids closed and Iruka went limp in his arms.

Kakashi tightened his grip and held his Chuunin close, breathing deeply their combined scent. "I've got you, love, and I'm never letting go."

**…**

Sunlight filtered down on the two young men lying in bed. Both were relaxed and sated but looking mildly grumpy. Sasuke glanced over at the blond, lying there boneless with tanned skin exposed to his hips before the blankets interrupted the rather delicious view. The dark haired Jounin had learned two very interesting things during the night. The first was that Naruto had remarkably sensitive thighs. When he'd sucked and licked them, the blond had started crying out like he was orgasming. The memory of it was enough to make Sasuke's spent member pulse.

The second discovery of the night was that the nine-tailed demon trapped within his lover gave Naruto an almost insatiable appetite. Sasuke didn't think it would have been possible for any other male to reach orgasm so many times. It had been exhilarating, exhausting, and fucking fantastic. However, neither of these discoveries were the reason the two men were lying there looking miffed. Blue eyes turned to look into onyx and they glared at each other silently for a moment. Never one to stay silent for long, Naruto was the first to crack.

"Y'know, eventually one of us is going to have to give in and be uke," the blond muttered peevishly.

Sasuke smirked before rolling over. "You first, sweetheart."

"Not gonna happen, bastard," came the answering growl.

**Meanwhile, on the other side of town…**

Anko collapsed sweating, exhausted, and quite possibly permanently cross-eyed.

"Fuck me sideways," she panted happily at the ceiling.

"I thought I just did," Gai chuckled from somewhere to her right and the kunoichi gave a breathless laugh.

She was ruined, ruined for life. The taijutsu master had completely blown her world apart… at least a dozen times. Other than the fact that she was now sure she'd never again bother looking at another man unless they had a bowl cut and wore spandex, there was one thing Anko was absolutely positive of: taijutsu specialists really did have _perfect _and _total_ muscular control.

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**AN: so, everyone forgiven me yet? ^_^**

**A part of me thinks I've over done the smut… another part enjoyed writing it so much that the first part was firmly kicked back into her box before getting set on fire. I hope you've all enjoyed and thank you, my darling reviewers, for sticking with the story for so long. There aren't many chapters to go and I will try to be quicker with the next one. This is your loving Overlord signing off.**


	23. The Unexpected Assailant and The Unwante

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I did have to treat Tanama's burns though.**

**AN: My amazing editor is Muien and she proofed this chapter within an hour of me emailing it so I could post up quicker. She is wonderful ^_^**

**Edited 2010 on a rainy spring Sunday.**

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 23: The Unexpected Assailant and the Unwanted Guest**

_Anko collapsed sweating, exhausted, and quite possibly permanently cross-eyed._

_"Fuck me sideways," she panted happily at the ceiling._

_"I thought I just did," Gai chuckled from somewhere to her right and the kunoichi gave a breathless laugh._

_She was ruined, ruined for life. The taijutsu master had completely blown her world apart… at least a dozen times. Other than the fact that she was now sure she'd never again bother looking at another man unless they had a bowl cut and wore spandex, there was one thing Anko was absolutely positive of: taijutsu specialists really did have __perfect __and __total__ muscular control._

**…**

Rain had definitely given way to snow. The gentle flakes drifted from above to cover the land in a frozen blanket, cloaking the hidden village of Leaf in luminous white. One training field, however, was quickly being converted back to its usual earthy state by an obnoxiously green blur zooming around and churning up the ground. The sounds of wood groaning and splintering under an onslaught of precision blows echoed around the field and carried far in the crisp, still air.

Sitting quite comfortably at the edge of the field on an old fallen tree, Anko pulled the thick blanket Gai had insisted on wrapping her in tighter around her shoulders. Although she had scoffed at the taijutsu expert when he had first bundled her in the warm fabric, the kunoichi was grateful for its protection against the frigid air. Sure, she could have been snuggled up at home in her bed with wobbly legs and a silly grin on her face, or sitting at Genma's table demanding food in exchange for the story of her incredible night, there was a problem with that though. It was a problem she'd never experienced before so therefore didn't know how to resolve it. The problem was that if she were still in bed or sitting at Genma's table it would mean her night with Gai had ended… and she didn't want that.

So, Anko was sitting on a log on a frosty winter's morning at the edge of a training field watching a man exercise. A man who she had thought, before the previous night, was incessantly overbearing and beyond even her limit of crazy. A man who she had picked up as a pity fuck because he'd obviously had a terrible day and needed the outlet.

That same man had, in one night, blown her whole mindset apart. Normally, her bed partners believed she liked it hard, fast, and rough. Sometimes she did but more often than not it left her feeling unsatisfied and wanting. They only took and didn't give, expecting her to enjoy their furious pounding and selfish demands. Maito Gai had put her pleasure before his own and treated her with respect and care. All through the night, he had listened not only to her voice but to her body as well. If she gave the tiniest indication she didn't like or want something he instantly changed tactics, focusing only on what she responded positively to until she'd become a moaning, writhing wreck beneath him.

He had taken her, filled her, and satisfied her in a way she hadn't known was possible. After she could take no more, Gai had pulled her close and whispered into her hair his gratitude that she was there for him when he needed someone. In the cold, hard light of dawn – which usually had her cringing and throwing out whoever was still stupid enough to be in her bed – Anko had opened her eyes to an unprecedented situation. Her head was pillowed on a solid chest, a warm arm was wrapped around her, and even the massive eyebrows couldn't ruin her happy buzz.

Anko didn't want their time together to end, so when Gai had regretfully told her that he needed to go stretch out his battle stressed muscles at a training field, she had decided to accompany him. Even though Gai had promised he would come straight back afterwards and declared there was no need for her to leave the bed, she had ignored him. Rather than arguing with her, the taijutsuist had given her a blinding smile and fetched a thick blanket. It had been impossible for Anko to deny the warm glow in her stomach at knowing the Jounin didn't want their time together to end just yet either.

"Gai," Anko called across the frozen ground.

"Yes, my blossom?" There was a loud crack as the training post was split in two by a well placed kick.

The kunoichi snorted at the endearment and continued to enjoy the delicious display of muscle outlined by tight fitting green. She'd always been a fan of green. Trees were green, she liked trees.

"I'm hungry."

Gai paused and sent her a brilliantly white grin. "The place I'm taking you for lunch doesn't open for another fifteen minutes. You're going to have to be patient."

She blinked at the taijutsuist. "You're taking me out for lunch?"

That was a first. None of her one night screws had taken her for a meal the next day.

"Absolutely! You're going to love their sukiyaki."

Anko made a little humming noise at this. She liked eggs; she could go and eat sukiyaki with Gai. It was quite nice really. She watched as the Jounin stretched his back, showing off some of the flexibility that had been so appreciated the night before.

"Hey, how come you still have so much energy? My legs are hardly working but you're leaping around like a damn cricket," the Tokubetsu Jounin teased with a lazy grin.

With his hands still firmly planted on the ground, Gai flipped his legs over allowing the rest of his body to follow until he was back on his feet. The whole movement had been as fluid as water and made saliva pool in Anko's mouth.

"I always need to have a good stretch in the morning and missions like yesterday's…" The dark eyes narrowed as Gai's mouth flattened into a hard line. "Let's just say I have a lot to work out of my system."

Wanting to break the bleak mood quickly, Anko smirked at him and leaned forward, allowing the blanket to slip off her shoulders provocatively.

"And here I thought I'd helped you with that."

In a flash of movement that showed the kunoichi just how fast the taijutsuist really was, Gai was suddenly standing before her and tugging the blanket up again to block out the winter chill.

"You have," he told her seriously before leaning forward and taking her lips in a brief but meaningful kiss. "You still are." Suddenly his face split into a devious leer. "I'm just worried that if we do any more you're going to break."

Just as Anko was about to try and smack Gai upside his bowl-cut the faintest trace of charka caught both of their attention. The charka was at the edge of the field to their left and unmistakably focused on them. It was unfamiliar and most definitely malicious.

Without communicating their intent to each other, both shinobi moved as one, as they were trained to. Anko pulled a senbon from her hair and sent it flying in the direction of the chakra as Gai flickered from sight and reappeared right where the charka signature was with kunai in hand. Anko watched as the taijutsuist dove at the ground and executed a quick tuck and roll. As Gai flowed to his feet, the kunoichi couldn't help but gasp in surprise at what was clasped in his large hand.

An iridescent blue snake.

"Don't let it bite you!" Anko yelled as she dashed over to where Gai stood.

Her words were unneeded, though, as Gai had a strong grip just behind its jaw and the snake could do little more than squirm and wrap its long body around his arm. Its mouth was opened wide and long fangs flashed threateningly in the pale light as an angry hissing rapidly built in volume. Gai grunted as the snake's coils tightened, powerful reptilian muscles contracting in a constant and increasing pressure around his forearm. Before he had to try to unwind it one-handed, Anko was there. The snake summoner forced the reptile none too gently to unwind and stared almost obsessively at its markings.

"I know all the snake summoners in the village and the species of snake native to Fire Country, this thing isn't a local," she growled and looked at its patterns of varying blue shades closely. "In fact, I'm not so sure this thing is even a snake."

Gai frowned down at the vibrantly blue creature and gave it a hard shake, tightening his grip. He didn't put in enough force to kill the serpent but there was enough to shock it into silence. Kakashi had told him of the Jounin Iruka had described from the attack a month ago. The Jounin that hadn't been seen by any other Leaf shinobi nor numbered amongst the enemy dead. The Jounin covered in blue snake tattoos that Iruka had said appeared almost alive.

"We must report this to the lady Hokage immediately," Gai said darkly. "Let's go."

Together, they dashed across the village toward the Hokage Tower, the blanket left forgotten on the training ground along with any thoughts of lunch.

**…**

A firm pressure and gentle tingle of chakra to the arch of his foot pulled Iruka from slumber with an appreciative moan. Inhaling deeply, the Chuunin stretched his body like a cat just awoken from a long nap in a sunny corner and sighed as his back cracked satisfyingly. He felt wonderful, his muscles were loose and warm as he relaxed limply back into the soft mattress. Opening groggy eyes, Iruka blinked sleepily at the smiling face hovering over him and felt his own lips tilt upward.

"I knew you'd look like this," Kakashi murmured as his eye travelled over the drowsy teacher and a calloused hand slid slowly up a honey toned thigh.

Iruka sighed in pleasure at the affectionate caress and reached up to run his fingers over the pale jaw above. The normally hidden features looked stunning bathed in soft golden firelight. Wait a moment, firelight?

Looking around, the younger man was surprised to discover they were once again in the lounge room. Kakashi had laid a futon before the fire, which was merrily providing them with light and warmth. Iruka could smell and feel the massage balm Tsunade had prescribed on his skin along with the residual sensation of chakra. Kakashi had obviously been busy.

Turning his attention back to the man kneeling next to him, Iruka lifted his hand and ran it through the silver hair. "We've changed location." He smiled lazily.

"Maa, the bed sheets needed changing, you see, and it's warmer in here." Kakashi's uncovered eye curved up into its trademark smile, the other hidden beneath a soft grey wrap that blended with his hair.

Taking some silver strands between his fingers, the Chuunin gave a small tug. "Molesting me in my sleep?" he teased. "Perverted Jounin."

The older man chuckled and leaned down, their faces a hairsbreadth apart. "Your perverted Jounin."

They kissed languidly, Iruka's lips tilted up in a smile as he thought about Kakashi's words. His perverted Jounin. _His_.

"Besides," Kakashi said as they broke apart, "I waited until you woke up to do anything truly perverted."

With those words, the Copy-nin slid his balm-slicked hand up Iruka's thigh again and a finger easily pressed inside his still stretched entrance. Iruka gasped at the sudden intrusion, his eyes going wide with surprise and hands grasping onto pale shoulders.

"There's just one more place that needs to be soothed seeing as it had such a good workout." The older man leered.

Iruka's eyes drifted closed and his head fell back on a gasp as the finger within crooked and rubbed firmly against the hidden pleasure nerves. Biting his lip, dark eyes opened to see Kakashi gazing down at him with a satisfied smile.

"Definitely a perverted Jounin," he playfully chided and ran his hand down the pale chest to pinch a small pink nipple.

A pleased rumble sounded deep in Kakashi's throat and the younger man trailed his fingers down the hard abdominal muscles to be stopped at the band of a pair of pants.

The dark eyebrows furrowed as brown eyes narrowed. "And why am I the only one naked?"

"Because if you weren't I wouldn't be able to do this."

Chakra flowed from the elite's finger, vibrating through Iruka's passage and into his prostate. With a deep groan, Iruka arched his head back and fisted his hands in Kakashi's pants and the blanket beneath him. Goosebumps broke out on his skin from the strange, almost electric sensation and soft pants huffed from his open mouth. Heat rapidly coiled low in his belly.

A sound that was embarrassingly close to a whine escaped his throat as the older man slipped in a second finger that was also pulsing with chakra. Hot breath ghosted over his ear, words whispered to him in a low, gravely voice.

"Do you hear that, love? That wet sound?" Vaguely Iruka could hear the noise. He rolled his face to the side and pressed it against his lover's. "That's what's left from earlier, from when I was deep inside you and we were connected."

"Kakashi," Iruka groaned breathlessly, "again." He tugged on the pants the older man was wearing, pulling the drawstring tie loose and starting to push them off the narrow hips. "Again."

The older man bit lightly on his earlobe but the Chuunin felt the tremble that passed through the body next to him. "It might be too soon," Kakashi murmured unsteadily then sucked in a loud breath as the teacher's hand slipped under the fabric and took firm hold of his erection.

Cracking open a dark eye, the academy sensei licked the pale, parted lips near his before biting down gently on the bottom one. With a helpless moan, Kakashi pushed up into the warm hand.

"I want you inside me," Iruka whispered against his lips and reached across with his other hand to push the older man's pants further down. "Now."

"Mm, how can I resist such a reque-"

The world around Iruka suddenly exploded into a flurry of motion and sound. Kakashi disappeared from his grip as the blanket Iruka was lying on was whipped out from under him and thrown over his body, blinding him to the world and hiding him from it. The screeching crackle of electricity split the air and charged it so powerfully Iruka felt every hair on his body rise as adrenaline ripped through his veins. There was a series of pops from the teleportation jutsu and the room was filled with furious snarling. If his hair hadn't already been standing on end, he knew it would have at that nightmarish sound. All this happened in the time it took for Iruka to even draw a startled breath.

Quickly, he yanked the blanket from his head and dark eyes went incredibly wide at what he saw. All the ninken were in the room, hackles raised, fangs bared, and growling as if about to tear the nearest throat out. Each canine was crouched, muscles taught and ready to spring into action. Akino's head turned toward the shocked teacher and the dog leapt for him at blinding speed. For a moment, Iruka thought the ninken was attacking. However, the bespectacled canine landed next to him and crouched over his prone form protectively, directing a loud, threatening snarl at the other end of the room.

Looking in the direction Akino was focused on, the Chuunin gasped as he saw Kakashi crouched over a figure lying motionless on the ground. The Jounin had a kunai to the intruder's throat and another positioned over their heart. The person – a man – on the ground was smoking, thin wisps curling from his hair, skin, and clothes. Large burnt patches smouldered on his clothing and the flesh that could be seen through the holes was an angry red and looked very painful. Kakashi was still shirtless but the cloth that had been used to cover his sharingan was wrapped around the lower half of his face in a makeshift mask, hiding his features from the intruder.

Kakashi looked furious.

"H-Hatake-san," the man on the ground croaked his voice high with fear and cracking in pain, "I'm h-here on Tsunade-sama's orders. P-please le-"

"And did Tsunade-sama tell you to teleport yourself directly into my dining area?" Kakashi interrupted. His voice sounded relaxed, almost friendly. The kunai pressed against the pinned man's throat and the trickle of blood that ran from its edge dramatically contradicted the Jounin's tone.

"I- I… n-no." The man sounded petrified and Iruka couldn't blame him. The dogs had yet to stop their angry chorus and Kakashi yet to remove his blades.

"And…" the Copy Ninja prompted, his grey eye crinkling slightly in a smile even as its depth transmitted nothing but anger and the promise of much pain.

"I'm very, very sorry, sir! It will _never_ happen again!"

"That would certainly be best for your continuing good health." The elite shinobi removed his blades and raised a hand. Immediately, the dogs fell silent.

Kakashi stood but made no move to assist the other man to his feet. "Your message?"

The uninvited Chuunin didn't rise from his position on the floor. "T-Tsunade-sama requests the presence o-of Umino-san immediately."

"Understood. Pakkun, take this man to the hospital."

"Will do, boss." The little pug ambled forwards and it was then Iruka realised the other shinobi wasn't getting up from the floor because he couldn't. He was too injured.

"What's your name, Chuunin?" The Copy Ninja asked as Pakkun reached his side and jumped onto the still smoking man's stomach.

The shinobi gave a pained hiss and curled slightly in on himself. "U-Ukichiki… Tanama, sir."

"I suggest that the next time you're sent to retrieve someone for our Hokage you knock on the front door, Ukichiki-san." There was a definite note of hostility in the Jounin's tone. "Most of us don't take kindly to uninvited guests."

With a nod to Pakkun, the little dog and injured Chuunin disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Placing his blades on the kitchen table, Kakashi sighed and rolled his shoulders to help ease the tension from them. "Moron."

Iruka could only blink as he digested what had happened.

"Did… did you just chidori one of our Chuunin?" he asked in disbelief.

The Jounin pulled the grey cloth from his face and secured it once more over his eye. "No, he set off one of the traps. Damn idiot's lucky he didn't try that when I wasn't home or he'd have been dead before he even rematerialised properly. When I'm here I lower the traps severity to only incapacitate, not kill."

A horrible thought crossed Iruka's mind as he sat up – making sure the covers still hid his lower body – and Akino flopped down next to him. "Wait, if I'd tried to leave the house yesterday would that have happened to me?"

The sensei was remembering when he'd been contemplating going for help instead of checking out the upstairs dojo on his own the night before. He could have ended up fried!

Wandering across the room toward him, Kakashi waved his hand through the air as if dispelling any worries. "Nah, I'd never risk that. You've probably noticed that you always have a trace of my chakra within you. Have you been able to feel it?"

"Sometimes," Iruka thought back over the last month and rubbed absentmindedly at Akino's ears as the other ninken began sprawling and relaxing around the room, "but only when it's obvious after healing."

"Trust me, it's always there. Well, the traps are keyed into that and won't activate with you. In fact, I've set them up so that wherever you move they deactivate in your path and activate again directly behind you. You're always protected but never in danger," Kakashi explained with a cocky, lopsided grin that Iruka found devastatingly sexy. "It's only until your own chakra starts forming again, then we'll reconfigure the traps."

Quite a few concerns regarding the set up flashed through Iruka's mind but were dismissed quickly as he reminded himself whom he was talking to. Kakashi was a genius and the teacher would bet good money that a lot of thought had gone into the traps. He simply nodded and sighed.

"So, if someone tried to jutsu in here when I'm home and you're not what would happen?"

Kakashi's eye curved into a smile as he scratched at his neck sheepishly. "I imagine I'll come home to find a rather large lump of well cooked meat and quite an upset lover."

The Copy-nin thought it best to not let Iruka know that he had also designed his security so that if something like that did happen, Iruka would find himself trapped within a number of protective barriers that could withstand even the house blowing up around him. Kakashi would also be alerted to the intrusion, as would the dogs and Gai. There was only one person in the world he trusted enough to allow in his house and near Iruka when he wasn't home and that was the taijutsuist. Between the two of them and the dogs, someone would be able to get to the house and protect the injured teacher.

"You're far too smart for your own good. Well, our leader calls and I don't think she'll be overly impressed if I turn up looking like this." The Chuunin climbed to his feet and made sure the blanket was securely wrapped around his waist before heading for the bedroom to find some clothes. Kakashi followed, also in need of more appropriate attire.

"So, you're going to have to show me this security design of yours sometime," Iruka said as they walked up the hallway. "I might be able to add to it."

"I have no doubt you could bring something rather inventive to the set up," the Jounin chuckled.

In the lounge, the dogs happily leapt on the vacated futon.

"I can't believe that man popped in here like that," Bull muttered from his sprawled position by the fire.

"Yeah," Biscuit snorted, turning in a circle three times before flopping down, "what a douche."

* * *

**AN: Now, I'd say that was the cock-block of the year ^_^ Nothing like getting frisky with your Chuunin and having a random intruder burst into your home to kill your hard on.**

**So, I figured I'd leave my ramblings till the end so you could all just leap right into the story. I could tell you all the shit that's been going on and get into lengthy explanations but that would be longer than the story. Allow me to summarise:**

**Busy season at work + organising a wedding + actually getting married + honeymoon + family troubles + Christmas and New Year + writers block = no time or inclination to write. So please forgive the stupidly long break between chapters ^_^**

**Alright, that's enough of my crap. I would love it if you could drop me a review and let me know if anyone is still actually reading this fic. By now you've all probably forgotten about your beloved yaoi Overlord *sniff*. My minion army has abandoned me *wails*. I shall just have to win you all back again with stellar storylines and some juicy smut. Till next time ^_^**


	24. Vanishing Mysteries and New Enemies

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I did have to put my fish in a water jug so they could use my tank though.**

**AN: My gorgeous editor Meiun is helping me out and she gets much love ^_^ **

**Edited 2010 in prep for the final chapter!**

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 24: Vanishing Mysteries and New Enemies**

_"So, you're going to have to show me this security design of yours sometime," Iruka said as they walked up the hallway. "I might be able to add to it."_

_"I have no doubt you could bring something rather inventive to the set up," the Jounin chuckled._

_In the lounge, the dogs happily leapt on the vacated futon._

_"I can't believe that man popped in here like that," Bull muttered from his sprawled position by the fire._

_"Yeah," Biscuit snorted, turning in a circle three times before flopping down, "what a douche."_

**…**

"Anko, isn't there something we can do to shut that thing up?" Tsunade snapped irritably, having to raise her voice to be heard over the loud, angry hissing that filled her office.

"We could behead it. I'd be happy to do the honours, Hokage-sama." The snake summoning kunoichi looked mildly hopeful.

Tsunade had to privately admit that she was sorely tempted. How any creature that wasn't Naruto could keep up such a continuously annoying racket was quite beyond the Hokage. Securely sealed in a specialised tank, the damned serpent hadn't ceased its infernal racket since it had recovered from Gai's initial throttling.

As if it understood Anko's words, the furious snake coiled back and struck out with blinding speed in her direction. It stopped just short of the tank wall. Venom splattered the glass, the viscous substance slowly dribbling downward as reptilian eyes stared at her unblinkingly. The venom soon began to smoke, wisps of vapour curling through the air before disappearing completely.

"Creepy little shit," Anko muttered as Gai scowled at the creature from her side.

There was quite the gathering in the Hokage's office. Tsunade was leaning back in her chair, arms crossed beneath her impressive bosom and Shizune standing beside her. Tonton had fled the office soon after the snake's arrival, unable to stand the continuous noise. Ibiki was also there – his usual scowl set firmly in place – and Gai and Anko had remained to provide information on capturing the creature and out of sheer curiosity.

That Anko was adamant the vivid blue creature wasn't a snake had sparked everyone's interest and Ibiki had suggested summoning a Hyuuga for a closer look. Hinata and Neji, having arrived only a few minutes earlier, were both at that moment studying the snake intently with the byakugan. The pale-eyed cousins were muttering to each other about their observations but overall were looking remarkably confused.

Against the far wall leaned Naruto, watching the group in uncharacteristic silence. The rambunctious blond had earlier burst into the office, cursing up a storm about Sasuke being an arrogant moody bastard (nothing unusual there) and demanding a mission that would take at least three months and preferably included blowing stuff up. He had arrived only a few moments before Anko and Gai came running in and had decided to stay out of curiosity.

The morning had been rather peaceful for Tsunade before Naruto's appearance. After the action of the previous day – with the attack against SUN and the inevitable mountain of paperwork that entailed – Tsunade had been allowed to sleep later than usual and Shizune had restricted the workload to only what was urgent. The Godaime had known it was far too peaceful to last; another hour would have been nice though. Since Naruto had burst in, it had been a flurry of activity and the ever constant pissed off racket of a psychedelic serpent. Needless to say, Tsunade was well on her way to having one hell of a headache.

Hinata finally stepped back from the tank and deactivated her blood limit. "I agree with Mitarashi-san," she said, voice barely audible over the trapped creature's ruckus. "This isn't a snake."

"What is it then?" Tsunade demanded, trying very hard not to snap at the gentle girl. It wasn't Hinata's fault she was so agitated.

"I-I really don't know. Sorry, Hokage-sama, but it's like nothing I've ever seen before. I don't think it's even alive."

"Me neither," Neji said while still studying the creature through veined eyes. "It's strange. Like it's solid but isn't at the same time. It exists only in sections, formed one moment but not the next."

Such a vague descriptions coming from the normally succinct Hyuuga had everyone frowning curiously.

"Explain," Ibiki ordered, his gruff tone giving away his fatigued state. The ANBU captain was still worn from the day before.

Neji straightened from his stooped position and did something no one in the room had ever seen, he rubbed at the back of his head in frustrated bewilderment. Hinata fidgeted with her hands a little but forged on ahead to try to explain.

"While externally it seems real and solid, its insides are constantly shifting, phasing in and out of existence. It doesn't have organs like living creatures do…" The Hyuuga heir trailed off as she tried to find the right words to explain.

"Its insides come in clumps of matter that in form are similar to muscle," Neji picked up where his cousin had stopped. "At any given time there are hollow spaces, almost void like, and solid spaces within it but the solid sections soon thin and then disappear completely while new matter forms where the previously vacant areas were. Its continuous and there's no pattern to it."

"While I would never doubt the word of our most prestigious Hyuuga clan, I must point out that it felt solid enough when it was wrapped around my arm!" Gai interjected, his voice having no trouble whatsoever in exceeding the volume of the hissing.

Hinata answered, though much less loudly. "It's never fully solid or empty and the shifts happen so rapidly that it feels solid if you can't see what's happening on the inside."

"Externally it has the form of a snake; scales, eyes, fangs, and even the venom like substance it spits, however internally it's not as 'real'. Take the venom for example," Neji continued. "When it hit the glass it was solid but after a few moments it changed form, getting thinner until it dissipated completely like it never existed. Even with the Byakugan I can't see any lingering traces and that's…" he trailed off distractedly.

"Unheard of," Hinata finished for him with a look on her face that clearly said she was at a loss to explain it any more clearly.

"Hold on, hold on," Naruto suddenly piped up and stalked across the room to point at the serpent, "are you saying this thing can potentially disappear into thin air any second?"

Hinata blushed a little. "M-maybe. There might be a seal preventing it from disappearing completely though as the skin doesn't appear to go through the matter shifts like its insides do, but there's a lot more chakra infused into its skin, fangs, and eyes."

"So the skin's solid but the guts aren't really there?" Naruto asked bafflement clear on his features.

Hinata nodded as Neji said, "Exactly."

"Perhaps a jutsu prevents it from escape?" Gai boomed.

"Or," Shizune mused, "it chooses to remain."

"Eeh? Why would it stick around if it could escape?" Naruto demanded.

"To gather information," answered Ibiki. "If it can disperse at any time then getting captured and observing our movements might be its purpose. The creature's summoner likely knew that its presence would draw the personal attention of the Hokage."

"So then we've just done exactly as the enemy wanted us to? Fuck!" Anko snapped angrily.

Gai placed his hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "Not necessarily. It is possible that the creature must remain in a solid state to pass what it has learned onto its summoner."

"That's also a definite possibility," Ibiki agreed. "The fact that it's phasing in and out internally yet is trapped within a solid skin supports that idea."

Neji's frown deepened as he continued studying the vivid blue creature. "The chakra appears and disappears along with the solid matter. It really is like nothing I've ever seen and makes no sense when thinking in terms of how we know chakra to work."

"Perhaps it's natural chakra then? Like Naruto-kun uses?" Shizune suggested.

"It's not. I'd be able to see it collecting if it were," Naruto said while squinting carefully at the snake as if making sure.

Neji huffed silently to himself. It annoyed him immensely that there was a type of chakra that Naruto could see but he couldn't, even with his specialised eyes.

Rubbing at her temples, Tsunade sighed. "Can you see where the chakra comes from? If it's phasing in and out then it's likely being continuously replenished. Is there any indication where this thing's been summoned from or if someone's controlling it from afar?"

"No, it leaves no trace at all. As Hinata-sama and I have been saying, this isn't following the normal rules of chakra usage. Perhaps…"

Neji trailed off with a sour look on his face as if what he was going to say left a bad taste in his mouth. Smiling gently, Hinata spoke up knowing what it was her cousin was reluctant to say.

"Perhaps a sharingan will be able to detect something we can't. Is Sasuke-kun or Kakashi-sensei able to come and have a look?"

"Want me to go grab Sasuke?" Naruto brightened at the idea of dragging his rival, friend, and new lover in to do some work. The blond was still royally peeved at Sasuke's arrogant assumption earlier that morning that he would just roll over and offer up his arse as uke. Stuck up bastard.

"No need, Kakashi's coming with Iruka to have a look at this thing. They should be here soon," Tsunade answered as the snake let loose a particularly loud hiss and spat some venom at Hinata who had reactivated her blood limit for another look. Neji quickly did the same and the two Hyuuga's watched the venom closely as it dispersed into nothing.

"So weird," Hinata muttered absently. "It doesn't even leave chakra traces on the glass."

"I just wish we could shut the damn thing up," Tsunade growled.

"Gai could strangle it again." Anko grinned cheekily. "Worked pretty well earlier."

"It would be my honour, Fair Hokage-sama!" Gai boomed while he stuck out his thumb in a good guy pose and his teeth flashed far too brilliantly for the dappled light coming through the windows.

Tsunade felt a muscle tick in her jaw. Every time the man grinned like that she swore she heard a pinging sound, as if the light was reflecting off the taijutsuist's teeth so sharply is was audible. Then again, the man sparkled and seemed able to produce illusions of sunsets and crashing waves without so much as weaving a genjutsu. It was entirely possible that Maito Gai had a blood limit that no one was brave enough to explore; she sure as hell wasn't going to. Tsunade liked being sane… well, relatively.

A polite knock on the door was almost lost in the hissing frenzy. Kakashi entered the room with Iruka in tow. The Copy Ninja was dressed in his standard uniform with only a grey scarf and enclosed boots to ward off the winter chill.

"You can hear that thing all the way down the hall," Kakashi said loudly enough to be heard, casting a mildly interested gaze over the tank's occupant.

"You summoned us, Tsunade-sama," Iruka addressed his leader politely as he moved out from behind Kakashi.

He was warmly bundled in his thick black jacket, cargo pants, and an old faded yellow scarf Naruto recognised as the one Kakashi had worn during their mission to the Land of Snow. As soon as Iruka stepped into sight, the hissing instantly stopped.

The silence after such a continuous bombardment of noise was strangely unnerving and everyone turned to the iridescent snake in surprise. It was still coiled but no longer jerking its head angrily from one person to another. The midnight blue eyes were locked firmly on Iruka and the Chuunin blinked in confusion as the others in the room all looked at him as well. Hinata promptly blushed a dark red and averted her eyes as Neji raised an eyebrow.

"Umm…" he muttered uncertainly.

"Well, that was unexpected," Anko stated from the sidelines before grinning, "though appreciated."

With a thoughtful frown, Tsunade glanced back at the snake. "Neji, Hinata, watch that thing closely and let me know if there's any change." Both Hyuuga returned their attention to the snake. "Kakashi, uncover your sharingan and watch as well."

"Right." The Copy-nin pulled up his hitai-ate and opened his left eye. It was still tired from the day before but not hurting at least. As he locked onto the snake, he couldn't help but feel surprised at what he saw.

"Hmm, that's more than a little strange," he said. "Do we know what this thing is?"

"It has yet to be ascertained, my rival. We have simply established that it is a being that follows no physical or chakra laws we are aware of," Gai answered, his voice still booming regardless of the serpent's silence.

"Iruka, I want you to leave the room. Stand just outside the door until I call for you to come back in," the Hokage ordered.

"Alright." Iruka turned and left the room, standing in the hallway to the side of the door out of sight.

Instantly, the hissing resumed. Iruka only had to wait for about a minute before the Hokage called out to him.

"Come back in, sensei!"

Strangely, once he was back within the creature's sight the snake settled again and fell silent. Eyes moved between him and the trapped serpent curiously.

"I take it this hasn't happened with anyone else," Iruka said, feeling as though he was stating the obvious but still needing confirmation of the fact.

"No," grumbled Naruto as he stalked across the room to stand next to his old teacher and glare at the snake. "I don't know why it's going all placid around Iruka-sensei but I don't like it. He should leave."

"Why?" Iruka asked at the same time as Tsunade snapped, "Quiet brat. So long as this thing shuts up he's staying."

"But-"

"Naruto, don't argue with the Hokage," scolded Iruka as the blond woman turned her attention back to the vivid blue creature.

"Was there any change?" she asked her three optically specialised shinobi.

"None," answered Neji, "or at least nothing I could detect."

"I didn't see any change either, Hokage-sama," Hinata confirmed as Kakashi simply shook his head. "If there was a change it might not have been significant enough to recognise considering there's already no pattern to base it off."

"This really is very unusual," Kakashi muttered, scratching at his masked jaw. "I can honestly say it's the first time I'm seeing it."

That was worrying. Even if they didn't know exactly what the creature was, Tsunade had been hoping that Kakashi had witnessed something similar and they could use that information to form a hypothesis. The powerful woman really did detest dealing in unknowns. Sighing, she leaned back in her chair and waved a hand in Iruka's direction; he still needed to perform the task he'd been summoned for.

"Iruka, come here and see if you recognise this thing."

Doing as the Hokage ordered, the pre-genin teacher walked forward and eyed the snake carefully. He did recognise it, only the last time he'd seen the snake it had been inked onto an enemy's skin.

"I do, Tsunade-sama. It looks the same as the tattoos that were on the Jounin posing as a Mist soldier I reported." As he got closer to the tank, the snake began to sway its head from side-to-side gently.

"Are you sure they were tattoos?" Ibiki asked sternly. "Think back, sensei, could they have been real snakes coiled around him?"

The Chuunin shook his head. "I'm certain they were tattoos, I could see his muscles clearly and they were flat to his skin. Unless this snake has the ability to flatten itself?"

His question was directed at Anko and the kunoichi shrugged. "It's not a snake so I don't know what the hell's going on with the damn thing."

"It's not a snake?"

"Nope," Kakashi's voice was tinted with curiosity, "it certainly isn't."

"What is it then?" Iruka asked as he bent down to look at the iridescently blue creature more closely.

The serpent leaned toward Iruka, tongue flicking the air as if trying to catch his scent while it continued its gentle swaying. Midnight blue eyes watched him unblinkingly and Iruka recognised them in an instant.

"It has his eyes," the Chuunin murmured absently, causing the others in the room to turn their attention on him.

"Whose eyes?" Naruto demanded, still hovering at his old sensei's side.

"The Jounin's. His eyes were that exact shade of blue, I remember because it's such an unusual colour."

Iruka remembered those eyes clearly for another reason as well. He remembered the strange, lustful heat they'd lit up with when they'd been locked on him in the midst of battle, when he had been a hairsbreadth from death. He remembered those eyes and the shinobi they'd belonged to, a shinobi who lazed in the sun while innocent people died only a few mile away. People like the young family that had shared his apartment building and their elderly landlady. Brown eyes narrowed angrily as Iruka's hands clenched into tight fists.

As if reacting to the Chuunin's anger, the snake-like creature let out a low, almost gentle hiss and moved its head toward Iruka, passing straight through the glass as if it were simply air. Iruka had the barest instant where he and the snake were eye to eye before hands grabbed him and he was torn backwards so fast the air was forced from his lungs and blood rushed to his head.

He thumped against a wall and slid to his knees, blinking black spots from his vision and dragging oxygen in before harshly coughing it out again. Casting his eyes around, Iruka tried to figure out what the _hell_ had just happened. Naruto was crouched next to him – kunai in hand – and Kakashi stood in a ready position halfway between them and the Hokage's desk now on the other side of the room. Neji and Hinata were to Kakashi's right, both in defensive stances and Neji protectively close to his cousin. Tsunade was on her feet, her chair still rocking on the ground where it had been knocked over when she'd stood abruptly. Shizune and Ibiki flanked their Hokage, both with weapons out and bodies poised for action.

The most interesting scene, however, was the one involving Gai and Anko. The purple haired kunoichi had two of her snake summons protruding from the sleeve of her extended arm, both reptiles with fangs beared and coiled to strike. Gai had a firm grip on the blue serpent's head protruding from the tank regardless of the seals placed upon it. The taijutsuist looked frustrated and helpless as the creature literally dematerialised in his hand.

"Someone's screwing with us," Tsunade growled as the last of the serpent vanished from view leaving only an empty tank and unanswered questions behind.

**…**

Many miles away, on a granite outcropping between the countries of Fire and Rain, a man sat deep in meditation. Despite the freezing temperature and snowy weather, he was shirtless clad only in black pants and high buckled black boots. A wide brimmed hat sat on the rock beside him next to a weapons pouch. Tattoos of writhing, iridescent blue serpents covered his upper body, winding around his chest, back, and shoulders. They were so intricately detailed they seemed alive.

The man was perfectly motionless and if it weren't for pale blond hair being stirred by the wind one might mistake him for a rather unusual statue. His right hand was held out palm up as if waiting for offerings; however, it was strangely free of snow. Flurries swirled around him but none of the small white flakes ever touched his skin, they melted in mid air whenever they drifted too close.

There was a ripple of light above the outstretched hand and vivid blue wisps of smoke began forming in the air. They swirled in slow spirals, completely unaffected by the wind, before lowering and sinking into the man's palm in a blue stain. From there it spread, curling around his arm and elongating until it formed into the shape of a serpent, its patterning matching those already coiled around him.

Houka drew in a deep breath and opened his midnight blue eyes. Looking at the snake wound around his forearm, he smiled.

"Well done."

The marking slid its way up his arm to coil over his shoulder and around his back before falling still like the others. Lifting his arms, Houka stretched until his spine gave a satisfying crack then flopped backward with a long sigh to laze on the rocks. His lips lifted in a smirk as he watched the snow twirl above and assessed the information he had just learned through his little pet. Their excursion had been surprisingly fruitful.

The shinobi of Konoha were certainly vigilant, he had barely infiltrated the village before being detected and captured. Although he could have easily ended the jutsu and retreated, the buffoon dressed in green who moved like lightning had taken him straight to the Hokage. That had been a rather brilliant stroke of luck. Even luckier was the presence of the famed nine tail's jinchūriki rumoured to be next in line for the title of Hokage. They had sealed them in a tank and Houka had been happy to allow his pet to vent its anger while he studied those in the room. It was all almost too easy.

How shocked he had been, though, when he was examined by two pale-eyed brats and they had clearly been able to see the movement of his chakra. 'Byakugan' they had called it. He hadn't realised that such an eye technique outside of the famed sharingan existed. It was pure irony that the next people to arrive had been none other than the infamous Hatake Kakashi and a man Houka had thought to be dead.

He hadn't forgotten the crazy brunette who had taken out half their war machines, plunged their invasion force into confusion, and killed a handful of shinobi single-handed. Ahh, the Chuunin had been fascinating to watch all fierce dark eyes and viciously precise strikes. It had made him want to capture the little Leaf-nin, take him home, and make him cry. He had assumed the Chuunin was dead since that moron Rikiryou had gone after him. How fascinating to find him alive, well, and so utterly defenceless.

_But not undefended_, Houka thought with wry amusement.

The commotion he had caused when he'd shown them that their sealing techniques were completely ineffective against him and his pet had been both entertaining and enlightening. How curious to see the great Copy Ninja and the Kyuubi brat instantly dash to the Chuunin's defence. It was more than the simple protection of a comrade or friend; it had been automatic for them both, instinct. _Love_. Houka had seen it in their eyes and knew instantly it would be to his advantage.

Who could have guessed that the destructive Chuunin would turn out to have such potential as a tool for accomplishing his mission? How very fortunate. He had been pondering what his next step would be since that old fool Danzou had gone and gotten himself killed. Granted, Houka would have eventually killed him anyway, but the leader of Konoha's ANBU Root division had died before the SUN operative was finished using him. Not to worry, one tool had broken but he had found another to replace it, thus was the way of the world for the lucky ones.

Sliding a hand into his pouch, Houka retrieved a thin box and flicked the top open with his thumb. Reaching inside, he pulled out a stick of pocky and stuck it between his lips. Chocolate melted over his tongue and he smiled up at the swirling snow. His mission was simple stated yet exceedingly difficult: weaken Konoha and prep it for a government restructure.

The ninja of Fire Country were recognised far and wide for their tenacity, ingenuity, and strength. Konoha boasted more clans with specialised blood limits within her borders than any other shinobi nation and the loyalty of her soldiers was inarguable. This was exactly why it had to be the first to fall. If SUN tried to start their take over with the weaker nations, they risked the early intervention of the stronger and Konoha had a long history of being meddlesome. However, if they struck down the strongest nations first then the weaker would be more susceptible and easily conquered.

The first stage of the plan had been to weaken the Village structurally to shake the faith the villagers had for their leaders. That plan had crumbled to dust thanks to the sickeningly efficient teamwork the Leaf soldiers displayed in destroying the boulders and one highly inventive Chuunin destroying half their camp. Even the guise of posing as invaders from Mist had become useless because of the quick correspondence between the Hokage and Mizukage. The entire fiasco had been a giant waste of time and Houka had left, uninterested in fighting a losing battle. The others would have left too if they'd had any brains, but they obviously didn't as they were dead and he had to pick up their slack. What a pain in the arse.

He'd never liked the plan of attack anyway. There really was very little point in taking over a village that needed to be rebuilt; it just created more unnecessary work. A village required leaders more than buildings, its foundations far more than the stone it was constructed upon. The easiest way to destroy a village was to destroy those that had the most influence over it.

The highly acclaimed and feared Copy Ninja and the mighty Kyuubi jinchūriki had captured the collective heart of Fire Country with their death defying deeds in protecting her. Killing them would be a good start in breaking that heart. How lucky he was to have found the perfect lure for such powerful targets. Crunching into the biscuit treat, the blonde tucked an arm behind his head and grinned at the swirling snow above. Lucky indeed.

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**AN: you should have seen the first draft of this chapter. Cloudy heavens on high, it was awful! I wrote it during a period where I was really tired and sent it off to Sal thinking it was good to be edited. She wrote back going "Umm, no. So not happening." **

**So I left it alone for a bit then when I finally built up the courage to go back to it… yeah, the reading was cringe worthy. The snake laughed… it's a long and tragic story that has now been deleted and the world is better for it. **

**I hope you've enjoyed the latest chapter. There'll be one more and then this puppy will be all wrapped up I reckon! Thanks for your many wonderful reviews and I'll see you again soon *crosses fingers* ^_^ **

**(Sal's Note: well maybe one more chapter depending on Dark's mood, the muse, and whether or not she decides to work on other stories or something strikes her fancy… she is sort of flighty like that. You all have no idea what I go through, the whining, cajoling, and general all out stubbornness to get her to get another chapter out. *insert dramatic sigh here*)**


	25. A Beginning and an End

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I did have to get Hinata drunk to help her get over her shock though.**

**AN: my thanks to both Vesca and Sal (Meiun) for helping me figure out what the hell to do with chapter. Cheers for the edit job too, Sal! **

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**I've Got You**

**Chapter 25: A Beginning and an End**

_He'd never liked the plan of attack anyway. There really was very little point in taking over a village that needed to be rebuilt; it just created more unnecessary work. A village requires leaders more than buildings, its foundations far more than the stone it was constructed upon. The easiest way to destroy a village was to destroy those that had the most influence over it. _

_The highly acclaimed and feared Copy Ninja and the mighty Kyuubi jinchūriki had captured the collective heart of Fire Country with their death defying deeds in protecting her. Killing them would be a good start in breaking that heart. How lucky he was to have found the perfect lure for such powerful targets. Crunching into the biscuit treat, the blonde tucked an arm behind his head and gazed lazily at the swirling snow above. Lucky indeed._

**…**

Sasuke glanced up from the scroll he was reading as the front door slammed shut and Naruto stalked into the kitchen looking flushed and agitated. He took one look at the blond's face, noting the temper simmering just below the surface, before going back to his scroll.

"Mission request rejected, eh? No surprises there. Lunch is in the fridge."

Naruto stared at him for a dumbstruck moment before raising his hands to grab fistfuls of his pale hair and Sasuke braced for the inevitable loud outburst. He wasn't left waiting long as Naruto yelled in frustration before pointing an angry finger at the dark haired Jounin.

"You! You think you know everything! You have no idea what happened this morning, _bastard_!"

"I know exactly what happened this morning," Sasuke said calmly as rose from his seat at the kitchen table and walked to the fridge. "The old lady told you to stop being an idiot and rejected your demand for a mission." He opened the fridge, reached inside, and pulled out a plate of onigiri.

"Yeah, well, you don't know what happened after that! After that ther- _mmph_!"

Naruto found himself silenced by a whole rice ball being stuffed in his mouth and the raven-haired Jounin looking smug.

"And then Gai and Anko came running in with a snake that wasn't a snake, which defied the laws of chakra as we know them. Confusion and chaos ensued until the thing vaporised into thin air after somehow moving through the glass of a specially sealed tank and almost rubbing noses with Iruka-sensei."

The blond froze and blinked in surprise, looking not unlike a startled squirrel with seeds bulging in its cheeks. "Mmff phee hmm hem?"

"Swallow, moron, then talk."

Chewing at super fast speed and being quite noisy about it, Naruto quickly gulped down the food in his mouth and blanched. "Ugh, I hate tuna."

Sasuke smirked. "I know."

Naruto scowled at him momentarily but curiosity was an overwhelming force when it came to the energetic jinchūriki. "How the hell did you find out?"

Sasuke returned to his place at the table. "Ibiki left a few moments ago. He wanted to know if I'd ever come across something similar during my time with Orochimaru." He picked up a rice ball he knew to contain pork and handed it to Naruto before taking a tuna one for himself. "I haven't, but I'm checking through a few of the records left by my clan regarding chakra projection to see if there's anything that sounds similar." Indicating the scroll on the table, he bit into his lunch.

Blue eyes darted from the scroll, to Sasuke, to the onigiri in his hand before sighing, chomping into the food, and flopping down into a chair.

"Know it all bastard," Naruto grumbled around his lunch. "Find anything yet?"

Dark hair swayed as Sasuke shook his head and finished his mouthful. "Not so far. This is all highly theoretical and doesn't have much basis for practical application because it takes too much chakra to maintain the chakra you're trying to project. Makes you burn through your reserves at an incredible rate. My guess is that whoever's behind it has a blood limit."

"Yeah?" the blond asked as he tentatively reached for another rice ball only to have Sasuke nudge a different one his way. "Why do you think it was sent here?"

The raven-haired man shrugged. "At a guess, it was gathering information on the village but only time will really tell." He quickly devoured the last of his tuna onigiri and rolled up the scroll, tying it carefully closed, and setting it aside to later return to the Uchiha library. "Hurry up and finish that," he ordered Naruto, who was staring at his half eaten rice ball pensively.

The blond blinked and frowned at him. "Why?"

"Because." Quick as a whip, he seized the front of Naruto's vest, dragged him forwards, and pressed their lips together. Sasuke slid his tongue inside the shorter Jounin's mouth, tasting the sweetness from the pickled pork he'd used for Naruto's lunch. He pulled back slightly and murmured against the blond's lips, "You left this morning before I had a chance to blow you again."

A surprised and aroused huff left the jinchūriki as a light flush began to spread over scarred cheeks.

"You taste like tuna," Naruto said huskily, his tone indicating that no longer found the flavour quite as repulsive as he had minutes earlier.

"I know." Sasuke smirked and dragged the shorter man to his feet before pulling him down the hallway.

Naruto snorted inelegantly with amusement. "You think you know everything."

"I do." The raven-haired man's tone was smug.

The blond grinned deviously. "You didn't know that I made ANBU. _Before_ you."

Sasuke's smug expression fell to a glower.

"Shut up," he growled and threw Naruto onto the bed.

**…**

"You're brooding," Iruka said as he poured tea into two cups and set the pot aside. The mild scent of jasmine wafted in the steam. "You haven't turned a page in the last fifteen minutes."

Kakashi sighed and closed his book, tossing it onto the couch cushion next to him. He accepted the drink Iruka passed with a hum that somehow managed to sound grateful and rested the cup on his knee. Iruka lowered himself onto one of the lounge room's many floor cushions and cast assessing eyes over his lover. Slouched in his seat, elbow on the arm of the couch, a hand propping up his head while he gazed out the window, the Copy Ninja was mentally miles away.

Iruka had seen Kakashi fall into these occasional pensive moods during the time they'd been living together. He knew that the Jounin was mulling over what had happened that morning in Tsunade's office, Iruka had been thinking of little else himself. What had happened to the serpent-like creature after it had vanished? Had it gone back to its summoner, 'died' in a sense, or had it simply been a jutsu they'd not encountered before and used to test the defences of the village? How had it entered Konoha undetected in the first place? How the hell had it moved through the wall of a tank that had been specially sealed by Morino Ibiki himself?

After the creature had effectively vaporised, Tsunade's office had erupted in a variable cacophony of noise. Gai had immediately started apologising for allowing the creature to escape in true Gai style. It had been loud, there were tears, and promises to make recompense by doing insane feats of physical improbability. Anko had smacked the taijutsuist over the head and yelled at him to stop being so stupid, that it wasn't even his fault, and he still owed her lunch so he couldn't go run the entire boarder of Fire Country twice before sunset. Ibiki snatched up the ineffective tank and been the first out the door, muttering something about research and further interrogation of one of his prisoners as he marched out. The look on the special Jounin's face had been dark and Iruka couldn't help but feel fleetingly sorry for whomever it was the head of the Torture and Interrogation Department wanted to question.

Shizune had started demanding information on what Neji and Hinata had seen when the creature had disappeared. The Hyuuga cousins had been at a loss to try to explain what had just happened, Neji so frustrated that he'd even raised his voice, a rare event indeed. In true Naruto style, the blond had stood in the middle of the room demanding that someone explain 'what the fuck just happened here' and was effectively ignored. Tsunade had picked her chair up off the floor and dropped into it with a long sigh, massaging her temples.

The first thing Kakashi had done after the serpent vanished was check on Iruka. The Jounin had closed the space between them faster than Iruka could see and carefully looked him over with a madly whirling sharingan. Iruka had reassured Kakashi that he was fine and told him to stop wasting chakra and cover his eye. The silver-haired Jounin had covered his sharingan only after he'd established there was no foreign chakra in Iruka's system. Strangely, it was when Iruka went to stand and sucked in a small, almost silent gasp of pain that the Hokage took any action.

"Are you hurt?" Tsunade's sharp voice had cut across the room and things had gone almost eerily silent. All eyes had turned on Iruka and the teacher was reminded of when he'd first entered the room and the damn snake had stopped hissing. He really hated being the centre of attention.

"Did that thing get you?" Naruto yelled, panic and anger evident in the young man's voice, and Iruka realised what it was everyone was so concerned about.

"No!" the Chuunin quickly reassured. "I'm fine, it didn't touch me."

"Answer the question, sensei," Tsunade demanded and Iruka was blessed with a second insight for the day. The Hokage wanted everyone out of her office and Iruka was to be her easy excuse. Oh joy.

When Iruka had begrudgingly confirmed that his shoulder was _mildly_ sore, Tsunade had declared loudly that he needed immediate medical attention and enthusiastically kicked everyone out. Even Kakashi and Naruto had been banished to the corridor, the jinchūriki protesting loudly and the Copy-nin's expression carefully blank. As soon as it was just the two of them, Tsunade released a long sigh, grabbed her chair, and dragged it around to the other side of her desk next to the visitors chair ordering Iruka to take a seat. She then fetched a large bottle of sake and two cups from behind some reports shelved across the room.

The Godaime had downed two cups of sake in quick succession, ordering Iruka to join her and proclaiming it would help him recover from his 'shock'. The Chuunin had briefly wondered what the Sandaime would have said about him sharing sake with the Godaime in the Hokage's office before lunch time. Under the circumstances, however, Iruka suspected that Sarutobi-sama might have actually joined them for a drink.

After Tsunade had finished her third cup, savouring it a little more than the first two, she ordered Iruka to remove his Jacket and shirt so she could tend to his shoulder. It was mostly bruising and had taken very little time to heal, leaving behind only light marks that blended in with the ones already healing all over his body. He'd complained that it wasn't really worth the effort but Tsunade had simply shrugged and said it was one of the quickest ways to get Gai out of her office. Iruka could sympathise, the taijutsu master could get rather carried away when apologising and it did tend to drag on for an inordinate amount of time. Anko telling Gai that he wasn't allowed to perform his penance certainly hadn't been helping to speed the process along. And demanding that he take her out for lunch as promised, when the heck had those two hooked up? As disturbing as Iruka had thought he would find the pairing, the more he thought about it the more they seemed strangely suited to each other.

"I would tell you that you're restricted to the village after the events of this morning, but I doubt you'll be running off anywhere too soon. Make sure you tell Kakashi the injury wasn't bad," Tsunade had said before shooing him out the door with orders to get plenty of rest and come back for another check up in a week's time.

When Iruka had emerged from the Hokage's office, Kakashi's expression was still guarded and carefully neutral. Naruto had stayed around long enough to confirm the snake hadn't touched, bitten, or mysteriously impregnated him – Iruka had told the young Jounin to stop watching so many horror movies for the last one – before heading home. Kakashi had simply asked if his shoulder was causing him pain, to which Iruka emphatically assured it wasn't, before asking if he would be up for walking part of the way home. Iruka had thought it sounded like a great idea, claiming he wanted to get some exercise and was curious to see how far he could make it before tiring out. In all honesty, though, he could see that Kakashi needed to walk off what had just happened but didn't want to leave Iruka's side. They had made it two blocks before the injured Chuunin been unable to continue and Iruka felt rather proud of the progress.

Since they'd arrived home, Kakashi had been in his silent, pensive mood and Iruka left him to his contemplations. It was obvious that the Jounin wouldn't let the situation go until he had chewed it over thoroughly, run through half a hundred hypothesises, and covered every aspect. While the powerhouse of a brain housed in the Copy-nin's head dissected what they had encountered that morning, Iruka had made them something light to eat and then dozed quietly in front of the fire. As much as it frustrated him, the teacher was a little more resigned to his situation, mostly due to his inability to change it than by choice.

Whatever came, whatever happened, he and Kakashi would face it together and protect their village. That was all there was to it. Iruka would protect his home, his Hokage, and his lover. Even if he lost all his chakra again and every bone in his body was smashed to dust, even if this time he died, he would fight for what he held precious with every last ounce of his strength. It was his way of the ninja.

However, the events from the night before and that morning had finally managed to break through his stubborn resolve and hammer home the reality of his situation. While mentally he may feel as fit and ready for duty as ever, physically he just wasn't able. _Yet_. It was beyond aggravating and Iruka still wanted to fight it, but he knew it was a pointless battle. The responsible and intelligent thing to do was stop denying his temporarily weakened state and follow his doctor and Hokage's orders. The Chuunin knew he would heal with time and be back to active duty. Likely, his recovery rate would accelerate if he stopped pushing himself constantly. It went against his nature to sit idle and do nothing and went against his training as a shinobi, but he had to concede that in this case the best course of action was a certain amount of inaction. Even if it drove him half mad.

In the past, Iruka had often wondered how the general villagers coped with living along side shinobi, watching them display amazing skills and accomplish impossible feats as if it were nothing. He liked to think that he finally had a little more understanding of how they felt and how frightening it must be for them at times. It wasn't a pleasant experience to have those surrounding you possess a level of speed and power that exceeded your own so dramatically.

Curling his arms on the coffee table and lowering his head onto them, Iruka closed his eyes, breathed deep the scents of his new home, and emptied his mind. The day had been taxing on his limited energy reserves and the fire was warm and making him drowsy. He must have drifted off for a moment because when he opened his eyes again Kakashi was by his side and running a hand over his shoulder.

"Its fine," the sleepy Chuunin mumbled and gave a half smile. "Tsunade-sama fixed it right up. Was barely hurt to begin with."

"I know, just didn't think I'd thrown you that hard," Kakashi muttered as he fingered the joint carefully.

Iruka rolled his shoulder around to show that it had full movement. "Forget about it, you'll be doing much worse once I get the all clear to start training again."

"You'll have chakra then and will instinctively cushion your landings. This was different."

With a tolerant smile, Iruka sat up and hid a yawn behind his hand. "Yes, how dare you drag me out of the way when a never before encountered and potentially very dangerou snake-thing tries to rub noses with me," he said sarcastically, cocking an eyebrow. "You're a truly horrible comrade and terrible lover. Next time I demand you toss me from harm's way with a bit more gentlemanly consideration please."

Kakashi chuckled and Iruka was gratified to see the tension lines smooth from the corners of his mouth. "So what you're saying is you want me to be more conscientious the next time I throw you against a wall?"

Iruka didn't miss a beat. "Absolutely," he said with a grin as he leaned against the Jounin's side. "Feel free to practice, in fact, I encourage it. Some trial runs definitely wouldn't go astray though I do prefer a lack of audience. The purpose of these training runs can sometimes be misconstrued." He was grinning cheekily as he reached for his tea and discovered it to be long cold. Obviously, he'd slept longer than he'd thought.

"Maa, can't have anyone misunderstanding now, can we? Already had enough of that today with the residual effects of your recovery therapy. Shocking assumptions children jump to these days."

Straightening from his slouched position against his lover, Iruka frowned at the silver haired man in confusion. "What are you on about?"

The grey eye curved up into its trademark arch as a smile, which was supposed to be innocent but a little too wide to pull it off convincingly, tilted pale lips. "Those two young Hyuuga jumping to all kinds of strange conclusions just because of a little chakra. Honestly, sensei, I wouldn't have thought a former student of yours would be so quick to judge."

Iruka raised an eyebrow at the older man's words and thought back to earlier when they'd seen Neji and Hinata. The teacher could be excused for not immediately realising what it was Kakashi was referring to considering his attention had been focused on a rather bizarre creature at the time. Realisation did eventually hit, however, and when it did, Iruka was _horrified_!

The Hyuuga cousins had been using their byakugan. The byakugan could see chakra, no matter how small the lingering traces would be. The last place Kakashi had been feeding chakra into him before the Hokage had summoned them was… _Oh dear God_!

The moment the stricken look of shocked understanding crossed the Chuunin's face, Kakashi's face split in a delighted, lopsided grin, the dimple deepening with his amusement.

"Be proud, sensei. You continue to expand their education even beyond the academy's walls."

With a dark glare, Iruka snatched up a floor cushion and managed to smack his lover over the head with it before Kakashi's arms looped around him and the Jounin tumbled them to the floor, laughing.

_The end_

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**AN: When I first started writing this story my aim was to get 69 reviews. Yes, I'm childishly amused like that. Over 1500 reviews and a minion army later… well, let's just say I've been stunned and amazed. I want to thank those of you who have stuck with the story until its end and I'm so grateful for the overwhelmingly positive response it's had. I'm glad you've enjoyed reading it as I've had a lot of fun writing it.**

**Sal (Meiun) and Ves (VescaWithoutWings), the two of you have been simply gorgeous and thank you so much for all your help and support. You are a couple of truly lovely ladies with a healthy side serving of evil pervertedness ^_^**

**A few chapters back I asked readers opinions of they wanted a sequel and the overwhelming response was yes, so there is one planned. I might not get to it for a bit (you all know how sporadic I am with updating) but if you're still interested in reading it then I'll write it. Already got it planned out to about Ch6!**

**Okay, I'll stop rabbiting on now. Cheers for the lovely reviews and I look forward to hearing what you have to say about this last chapter ^_^**

**Sal's note: The editor wishes to say that she had no part in this omake and isn't even going to edit it in protest. We now return you to Vesca's regular madness.**

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**OMAKE! **_(I want it noted that this is completely Vesca's idea and I am writing this under duress… and because I lost a bet ___)_

The moment the stricken look of shocked understanding crossed the Chuunin's face, Kakashi's face split in a delighted, lopsided grin, the dimple deepening with his amusement.

"Be proud, sensei. You continue to expand their education even beyond the academy's walls."

With a battle cry, Iruka snatched up one of the floor cushions and began smacking his lover over the head with it.

"You perverted bloody Jounin!" Iruka slumped in defeat and buried his face in his hands. "I can't believe they know now, and they found out like _that_."

There was a snicker from the corner of the room and the sound of a pen frantically scratching over paper was accompanied by excited muttering. "Oh this is good, very good. You two should have sex time now."

"Goddamnit Dark! Are you still here?" Iruka yelled and pitched a pillow across the room with deadly accurate aim. "Your time's up, the story's finished. Now get out!"

It smacked the authoress square in the face, thumping her head back against the wall. Obviously Iruka was getting his strength back. The two shinobi might have worried they had injured her except that Dark's nose had been steadily dripping blood since she'd started following them around over a month ago so by now it was considered the norm.

"No, no, you have to have sex again first. There's no way I could write a story this long and only have one sex scene. That's just _unacceptable_. Think of the poor readers! Your devoted fans and worshipers! They need _smut_! Sexy yaoi ninja porn!"

"Oh god, she really needs to leave," Iruka groaned and looked imploringly at Kakashi. "Get rid of her and I'll give you head in the shower."

The Jounin instantly brightened and grinned evilly across the room at the suddenly very wary writer. "You know, I haven't reactivated the traps since we got home and they're not configured for her."

The authoress leapt to her feet and started edging towards the closest window. "N-now, now, fellas. No need to be getting all hostile." Kakashi smirked as a pulse of his chakra flared out and the warning sound of crackling electricity could be heard. The writer whimpered. "Oh crap."

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***Looks around* **

**What? You lot still here? Okay, have a cookie for sticking around this long. Go on, shoo with you now ^_^ **


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